Serendipity
by Occult
Summary: AU. -InuKag- InuYasha cursed every time that annoying girl came near. What he didn't quite understand, however, is why he cursed even louder every time that annoying girl went away...
1. The meeting

**A/N: This is my newest story, and I hope you all enjoy!**

**For all of you that have been following my other story, "Intertwined," do not worry,**

**I promise to finish it! I just had this idea in my head for quite sometime, and I didn't**

**want to let it get away from me!**

**Anywho, please enjoy the story.**

:D

The sky was an unruly gray this morning, but that was alright to him. Rain splattered against the Tokyo streets, blinding many of its drivers. The sun was nowhere to be found on this morning, as the clouds twisted in an ugly manner. All of this was fine with _him_, though. He loved the rain, loved dark weather. It gave him a sense of elightenment, and it cooled him down, cleared his thoughts. He leaned against the wet, red stop sign impatiently.

_'What kid has to finish their last year of higschool at a new school,' _the eighteen year old thought angrily.

Damn his father for accepting that stupid new job, causing them to move. He exhaled, calming his nerves slightly. His life wasn't that great at the moment. His father was as bitter as ever, and of course InuYasha was the victim to his verbal abuse, while his older brother, Sesshomaru, watched.

The wind began to blow furiously, causing him to clutch his black backpack tighter. The school year had started about three months ago, so now he would be behind. His unusual silver hair glistened as rain droplets eagerly covered it. Two white appendages twirked atop his hair, like sattelites, but shaped like dog ears. His hands held sharp animal like claws. But what was most mesmerizing about him, were those sun shaded orbs that rested on his face. Some might call them _eyes_, others might call them _gorgeous_. Even though his eyes were beautiful, they held something deep.

Pain.

Loneliness.

Of course, he'd never admit to something as that, being the stubborn hanyou that he was. His beautiful mother was an insatiable woman, kind and sweet, yet she died long ago. Remembering the special woman made the hanyou's eyes soften in despair.

_'I miss her so much.'_

Ever since that fateful day, InuYasha let no one in his life. His mother was the only person he had truly cared for, and the Gods had taken that away from him. Everything and everyone else was _worthless._

His father was just the opposite, a very strict, and stern person. He huffed at the thought of him. He made InuYasha seem like he was nothing short of worthless. All he did was practically worship Sesshomaru, and make him feel like a mistake to the family. He sighed.

_'I am a mistake..'_

InuTaisho often blamed him for his mother's death.

_'The old man says she was always stressing over me, which is why she grew ill..'_

He shut his eyes momentarily.

_'I know I'm worthless, I do not need him or anyone else constantly reminding me.'_

He balled his fists in anger.

He didn't bother making any friends, heck why the hell would he? He had_ always _been solo. He already had his routine figured out.

_'I'm going to go to this stupid school, and speak to no one. That will be best.'_

The rain continued to pelt his red button up shirt, and his black slacks. He wasn't a materialistic person in the least, so clothes weren't an issue for him. A very loud sound traveled to his ears and he sighed, knowing full well what it was.

_'About time.' _

A white, rusty bus pulled up next to him, screeching as it stopped. He sighed and slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked to the bus doors. The driver of the bus, a rather aged man, tugged on the handle, opening the doors for the hanyou. He walked up the stairs and dropped a quarter in the slot, and looked around. There were many vacant seats. The seats that were taken were filled with middle aged people. He huffed, and continued down the aisle, not seeing anyone around his own age. As he made his way toward the very back of the bus, his eyes fell on a figure to the right. He instantly knew it was a girl, just from the rich, black hair that cascaded over her shoulders. She had a small frame, but her body was shieled from his eyes by a long, dark raincoat. The hood was over her head, covering her entire forhead, stopping just above her eyes.

_'Her eyes..'_

Her eyes were an alluring shade of azure. She wasn't looking at him, however, her beautiful gaze was out the window, watching the rain pelt against the bus. She was nibbling on her bottom lip, her chin resting against the palm of her hand. Her skin was slightly tanned, giving it a creamy glaze. Her lips were a natural, rosy pink. The jacket she wore obviously wasn't hers', seeing as how it draped over her hands, serving too big for her. From the look on her face, she didn't seem to mind. Under the jacket, she wore a blank tanktop, with black sweat, baggy sweat pants. Considering her dark attire, her eyes stuck out like a sore thumb. The hanyou was so busy staring, that he almost didn't notice when her gaze fell upon him, piercing right through him.

Their eyes met, and the electricity through their gaze was so thick, the hanyou swore he could see it. Her eyes traveled to the triangular appendages atop of his head, seeing them move in different directions. Her eyes landed back on his, and she gave a small smile. Not knowing what to do, he simply "Feh'd" before taking the seat across from her. The bus continued to move, splashing in many puddles of water as it did so. InuYasha couldn't help but to sneak a glance at the girl ever so often, her smile still fresh in his mind.She seemed to be fixed on something outside, seeing as how that's where her gaze had been this whole time.

_'Ok, she's cute, so what? She's probably an airhead.'_

As he continued to watch her, he realized that this girl wasn't cute. She was _gorgeous._

_'It's not like I ain't seen a chick with blue eyes before, so why is she so different?'_

He huffed and crossed his arms, finally managing to pull his golden gaze away from the blue eyed girl. He mimicked her, now also watching the window.

The girl snuck a glance at him._ 'His eyes...they're golden.' _ Something about those eyes relaxed and coaxed her. She took note of his silver tresses, and those adorable dog ears that caught her attention only moments ago._ 'Who is he?' _

Thinking long and hard, she came to the realization that he must be a new student, since he looked to be about her age, and that black backpack that clung to him.

_'Whoever he is, he sure is handsome.' _

She sighed, thinking about her troubled life. Her father had died about five months ago. Her mother was a beautiful, gentle woman, much like herself. But something was missing from the young girl's life. She felt an unknown pain, aching, longing. Now, more than ever, she hated to be alone. She needed _someone. _Sure, she had her best friend Sango, and her lecherous friend Miroku, but she needed something _else. _She chuckled sadly to herself, thinking about their love/hate relationship. Even if they did argue repetitively, they absolutely adored each other. She mourned for something like that.

_'Look at me, I'm only eighteen. I have the rest of my life to meet someone..so why have I suddenly grown impatient?' _

Her eyes slowly wandered back over to the silver haired boy sitting in the next seat over. Their eyes met instantly. He had been looking at her! His cheeks reddened and he quickly forced his gaze elsewhere. She held back a giggle, but did the same.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The hanyou walked out of the main office, his new schedule in hand. His eyes wandered over the sheet of paper.

"So, my first class is Psychology. Great."

As he looked around, he noticed many people eyeing him, as he were from another planet. He rolled his eyes and continued down the hall, in search of class 249. "Hey, you need some help?" called a voice from behind. InuYasha turned around to see a guy about his height, with dark blue eyes. His hair was kept in a low, small ponytail, and he held a friendly smile on his face.

_'Why does this idiot want to help me?'_

"No."

The boy looked taken back by his rude answer, but smiled and persisted. "You are new, are you not? You're obviously lost, so let me help you." InuYasha growled, making the boy jump slightly.

"I'm_ fine_. I don't need you pussyfooting around me."

The boy continued to smile, and quickly snatched the schedule from the hanyou's hand, and glanced over it."Ah, Psychology. Right this way!"InuYasha was surprised by this human.

_'He sure as hell has balls, I'll give em that.'. _

If he hadn't of needed this pathetic human's help, he would have surely left him with bruises. The boy began to walk, and instinctively, the hanyou followed. "So, what's your name? I'm Miroku," he proceeded, that annoying grin never leaving his face.

"That's nice."

'_Why is this idiot making small talk?' _

The one known as Miroku chuckled. "You still didn't answer the question."

InuYasha gritted his teeth in annoyance_. 'Don't snap, you need him to help you get to class.'_

"InuYasha.." he said slowly.

"Well good to meet you!"

"You're a chipper one, aren't you?" he grumbled . Miroku just laughed, not offended. "I guess you could say that. Well, this is it." They stopped in front of his class. "If you need anymore help, just seek me out, InuYasha." He said, handing him his schedule. With that, Miroku went the opposite direction. The hanyou rolled his eyes and slowly walked inside the classroom. An old woman sat behind the desk, eyeing papers through a pair of thick reading glasses. He made his way toward her desk, and looked around the classroom as he did. It was pretty empty, aside from five students.

_'I must be early.'_

One figure caught his attention. His heart stopped, realizing who the person was. It was the same girl from the bus! She no longer wore the large jacket, so he got a much better view of her. Her hair was even longer than what he had first thought, it stopping nowhere short of her waist, and her eyes were on a sheet of paper. That familiar blank tanktop gave him a full view of her toned, creamy arms, and just how much her breasts protruded from her chest. He blushed at the thought. She moved a pencil rapidly over the paper, so he realized she was drawing.

Her azure eyes traveled with the pencil, as she chewed her lip in concentration. She hadn't even looked up once, missing the fact that they were in the same class. An old voice broke through his thoughts.

"How many I help ye?"

He faced the teacher, who now eyed him suspiciously. He cleared his throat, and began. "I'm uh..new here. This is my class. Here's my schedule." He handed the woman the sheet of paper. Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, the girl gazed upward, her eyes trailing to the familiar figure on her bus. His back was to her, but he felt her eyes burning him. The woman eyed the paper, and sighed.

"It appears ye are correct. Your name is InuYasha, eh?"

He nodded, mentally rolling his eyes.

_'It says that on the paper, ya old hag.'_

"Well, ye are early, InuYasha. Since it is only a few of us in here, how about we introduce ourselves? I'll begin. My name is Ms. Kaede. Class, welcome our newest student, InuYasha." He faced the small class. It was three guys, and two girls, one being the blue eyed girl he had familiarized himself with. The other was a red haired wolf demon, who was too busy texting on her cell phone to notice.

The guys were in the back sharing magazines, their heads buried in them. They had the _"studying" _facade, but InuYasha noticed the thin, glistening magazines hidden withtin the science books they were holding.

_'Perverts.'_

He did catch a wave from the girl who rode his bus, however. She held a small, welcoming smile, giving him a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach. smiled. "Looks like ye made a friend, InuYasha. Why don't ye got seat yourself next to her?" He hesitantly complied, and slowly sat in the seat opposite from the girl. Her scent immediately rushed into his sensitive nose, almost paralyzing him. She smelled of sweet vanilla and honeysuckle. Her eyes returned to her artwork, which InuYasha now had a closer view of. His eyes widended at the picture. It was an illustration of a little girl who looked to be no older than eight, laying under a cherry blossom tree. She was sleeping, her left hand clutching a teddy bear.

_'She's extremely talented. She might even be better than me.'_

InuYasha enjoyed art very much also. He had many paintings he had just hung on his wall the day before, and he was rather proud of them. Feeling his eyes on her art, she blushed. "Hi! How are you?" She asked eagerly, now facing him, and leaning rather close to him. He instantly backed away at her closeness.

_'Damn, doesn't this wench know anything about personal space?'_

Instead of responding, he simply put his head on his desk, shutting her out completely. She raised a brow, and then furrowed them in frustration. "That's rude, y'know! Hey! Are you listening to me?!" He exhaled rather loudly, her voice irritating him_. _

_'I knew she was an airhead.'_

"What do you want, wench?" Her eyes widened, and he_ still _wasn't even looking at her. "I was only trying to be nice and this is how-" He growled, and finally sat up, his eyes burning through her.

"I don't_ need _you being nice to me. Keep that _"I feel sorry for the new kid" _shit. Do me a favor, k? Shut the hell up. Thanks."

With that, he rested his head back on the desk, rubbing his temples. That wench sure did give him a damn headache.

Kagome simply blinked at his words, taken back by his reaction. How had she been attracted to this asshole only moments ago? Her vision was suddenly blurry, and she wiped her eyes, realizing it was water.

_'I won't let him see me cry. That jerk will not see me cry.'_

She rose from her seat and murmured an "Excuse me," to Ms. Kaede, and quickly left the room.

The smell of salt water suddenly hit InuYasha's nose, and he quickly looked up, seeing the annoying female gone. He gave a frustrated sigh, realizing he made her cry.

_'Oh well, she'll get over it.'_


	2. Annoyance

**I'm happy too see people are enjoying the story!  
**

**And this is why I've decided to do two chapters in one day!**

**:D**

**Also, I forgot to put a disclaimer on my other chapter, so**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does!**

Class had only started about fifteen minutes ago, and the hanyou was bored out of his mind. Kagome had come back not too long ago, and she hadn't made eye contact with him since. He huffed, tapping his pencil against the desk.

_'Good. At least now the chipper brat will leave me alone.' _

Still, he felt some type of annoying feeling gnawing at him. He exhaled loudly.

_'Damn conscience.' _

Ok, so maybe he felt a _little_ bad about what he said to the girl. He snuck a glance at her. She was frantically copying notes from the board, not even sparing him a glance. She acted as if he didn't exist, and usually, that's how he preferred it.

_'Well, who gives a shit? I'm not apologizing, and that wench can't make me.'_

It sure as hell was irritating that she acted like he wasn't there. It was just downright rude, in all honesty. He attempted to take notes, and ignore her the same way she had been ignoring him.

_'Ha, if I pretend like she isn't there, I bet that'll piss her off.' _

For the rest of the class period, the hanyou didn't give the girl a glance, and copied his notes. The bell rang, dismissing the students. He smirked to himself, ready to hear the wench complain about him being "_heartless,"_ or a _"jerk." _He stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, and turned to face her, his smirk wide on his face. He gasped. She was already gone! He turned toward the door and saw her exit, like he wasn't even there! He growled in annoyance.

_So what? The little wench will get over it soon enough, and she'll be back to yapping like she was earlier.'_

He wandered the halls, his eyes studying his schedule. "Pre-Calculas. Now where the hell is that room?" He looked around the halls, hoping to spot that annoying Miroku character he had encountered earlier. He sighed roughly, seeing the guy nowhere in sight. Who he did spot, however, was Kagome stuffing a book in her locker. He gulped and slowly walked toward her. As he did, he couldn't help but admire how nice of a body she had. Her hair dangled over her waist, but that didn't stop him from noticing the way her body curved inward in certain places. He cleared his throat awkardly.

_'If I can just ask the wench for help, then everything will be ok.'_

He quickly shook his head. "What am I doing? I don't need a pathetic human's help." He quickly steered in the opposite direction of the girl, examing the hallway for his class. About five minutes later with no success, the hanyou cursed grumpily.

"Great. I'm going to be late because I can't find this damned class."

"Want some help?" A kind voice asked lightly. He gazed up to see Kagome in front of him. She held two books in her hand, gazed at him with an unreadable expression. He sighed.

"I'm fine."

With that, he shoved past her, trying to avoid another confrontation. _'Why won't she just go away?'_

"The bell will ring any moment, and you'll be late on your first day. Won't look good on your record," she chimmed in, shoving a pair of glasses over her eyes. He spun around, ready to give her_ another _piece of his mind. The sight of her with those thin framed glasses haulted him though. She looked like a beautiful, sophisicated, _enticing _secretary. "What the hell do you want from me, wench? I do not have anything that you could possibly have interest in," he managed, scowling. Her eyes widened slightly at his comment.

"What makes you think I want something from you? Because I'm trying to help you?"

"Why are you trying to help me? _No one _has ever tried to help me before. Not unless they were getting something out of it.."

"Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, there are actually genuine people out there?" she whispered softly, searching his eyes. He grimaced at her comment.

"That's bullshit. Like I said, I have nothing to offer ya, so can you just get the hell out of my way?" He said, waving a hand in the air. She balled her fists in anger.

"You are a real jerk_, InuYasha_. Not everyone wants something from you, and you're an even bigger fool than I thought if you pass up help when it's staring you right in the face," she spat out.

His jaw clinched.

"How the hell would you know? Are you a_ half _breed?

Do people tell you that you're an _abomination_?

Do people tell you that you are the reason your mother is _dead_?

Do people tell you that you are the cause for every _single_ problem in this world!?"

She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand.

"InuYasha, I didn't know.."

He snorted and crossed his arms.

"Of course you didn't know,_ princess. _You know what I've learned, _Kagome?" _ He said her name with so much malice. "I've learned that my mother was the only being to care about me. I killed the only _fuckin' _person that gave a shit about me. You know how that makes me _feel_? I_ deserve _to rot in hell for it, and when I'm on my death bed, seconds away from death, it'll be the happiest moment in my_ life_."

She'd never heard such harsh words leave anyone's mouth in her life.

"Oh InuYasha.. don't say that.."

His fists tightened.

"What the hell do you expect me to say? That everything in my life is _la-dee-friggin-da?"_

The bell rang, signaling that the students only had one moment to get to class. Kagome sighed, and glanced at his schedule momentarily while he still clutched it in his hand. "Pre-Calculas is that direction," she said softly, poiting down the opposite hall.

"First room on the right."

With that, the girl turned on her heel and walked the opposite direction, leaving the hanyou alone. He groaned, and winced, feeling a pain in his palms. He looked down to see blood dripping from them. He cursed silently. His nails had dug too deep in his skin when his hands were clinched. He quickly licked away the blood and slowly made his way down the hall, following the path Kagome had pointed out to him.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was fourth period, the class before lunch. InuYasha scribbled down the Anatomy notes, easily naming specific parts of the body.

"Now class, what are the three major divisions of the brain, and what are each of their functions?"

A rather old man asked, a long white beard hanging from his chin. He called himself Mr. Totosai. He glanced around the room, and no hands were raised.

"All right then. How about you, InuYasha? Do you have the answer?"

The hanyou sighed and leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes.

"They are the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. The forebrain is responsible for a variety of functions including receiving and processing sensory information, thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language, and controlling motor function. There are two major divisions of the forebrain: the diencephalon and the telencephalon. The diencephalon contains structures such as the thalamus and hypothalamus which are responsible for such functions as motor control, relaying sensory information, and controlling autonomic functions. The telencephalon contains the largest part of the brain, the cerebral cortex." He inhaled and continued.

"The midbrain and the hindbrain together make up the brainstem. The midbrain is the portion of the brainstem that connects the hindbrain and the forebrain. This region of the brain is involved in auditory and visual responses as well as motor function.

And lastly, The hindbrain extends from the spinal cord and is composed of the metencephalon and myelencephalon. The metencephalon contains structures such as the pons and cerebellum. These regions assists in maintaining balance and equilibrium, movement coordination, and the conduction of sensory information. The myelencephalon is composed of the Medulla Oblongata which is responsible for controlling such autonomic functions as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. "

He opened his eyes to see all of the students with their eyes on him, shocked. "Why, that's amazing, . Who knew you had such an interest in Anatomy!?" exclaimed Mr. Totosai, applauding.

The hanoyu rolled his eyes, and the bell rang, dismissing class. He quickly stood, using his sensitive nose to find the cafeteria. So far, his classes had been a breeze, all except Psychology. How could he possibly know why people think the thoughts that they did?

His stomach began to growl and he rubbed it self consciously. "Shut up, will ya? You'll be full soon enough!" Overall, his day hadn't been absolutely _terrible. _After all, he hadn't see that cursed girl in about three hours.

The thought made him smile.

_'Maybe now she'll finally leave me alone.'_

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Stop being lecherous!"

"Sango, my dear, I am not being a lecher."

"Psht, then what do you call groping my backside, Miroku?"

"I call it being friendly. We _are_ friends, aren't we?"

"You've got to be joking me! That is _beyond_ friendly!"

"It is not! I grope nearly every woman's ass! Why is it so different with you?"

Those words sent Sango over the edge. Her voice was minimized to a gentle whisper. "How dare you?" Her voice was filled with much hurt, and Miroku then realized he had went too far. "Sango, I-"

"Save it," she snapped, picking at her food. Kagome sighed at her friends usual bickering. The three friends sat at a round table in the cafeteria. "You've been quiet all morning, Kagome. Something wrong?" Her best friend asked, worry hovering her words. She gazed up at her friend's caramel colored eyes, and shook her head, while plastering on a fake smile. "Nothing at all! Just..tired." _'I feel so bad for lying to her but..'_

InuYasha's words still _haunted_ her.

_'How could someone want to die so much? How could someone tell him those horrible things? He couldn't have killed his mother. He's certainly a jerk, but nothing close to an abomination. How could he be the cause of all of our problems? He's just one person..'_

The source of her thoughts suddenly came into view. InuYasha was sitting at a table in the very back of the cafeteria alone, his face buried in a Pyschology book. He was scribbling down notes, and slurpring down ramen simultaneously. "I'll be right back, you guys," Kagome said softly, and walked toward the hanyou's direction, her legs having a mind of their own.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

InuYasha was cursing like a mad man.

_'How could that damn teacher want all of this work by tomorrow? I'm new, shoudn't I get at least a little slack?' _

Ms. Kaede had given him a packet in order to catch up with the rest of the class, but she demanded it at an unreasonable date.

"Damnit, what the hell am I going to do?"

"Need some help?" That familiar, sweet voice reached his ears. They began to twitch, registering to him that someone had spoken to him. He looked up to see Kagome standing over him, a concerned look in her eyes.

He sighed with frustration.

_'She's just going to keep popping up.' _

"I thought I told you that I don't have anything for-"

"Here," she intervened, handing him a packet. He reluctantly took it from her, staring over it. It was the exact same one Kaede had given him! She read the confused look on his face. "Ms. Kaede didn't exactly give you a reasonable time for you to finish it. Take mine as notes," she said with a warm smile. He didn't want to take it. _Boy, he didn't want to_. But he needed to if he had any hope of passing. He huffed. "Look, I don't know what you're after-" "Have a nice day, InuYasha," she said softly, no longer wearing a smile, but a sad look in her dark blue eyes.

The way she said those words...

_'She said them as if she actually wants me to have a good day..'_

Before he could reply, she was already walking back toward her table, leaving him with her packet. He sighed in relief.

_'Well, at least now I have a chance of passing..'_

**I thought I'd try portraying InuYasha exactly as how he would be if he were in modern times.**

**Anyway, Tell me if you enjoyed!**

**:)**


	3. Confrontation

**I'm really becoming addicted to this story, so it may be getting a bit more attention at the moment than my other story, "Intertwined."**

**I really wanted to try a deeper, more psychological story, and thus, this story came to me. **

**InuYasha may be a bit OOC, I've made him a bit more dramatic, or so he will be for a little while.**

**I'm not getting many reviews, sadly, but this chapter is for those who are reviewing, and I sincerely appreciate it.**

**No one like to write a story in vain, so just thought I'd throw that out there.**

**Anywho, enjoy!**

**:D**

*******

'_Thank God, the very last class of the day,' _The hanyou thought, just before nearing the Biochemistry room. The halls were incredibly crowded, and luckily, he had no trouble finding this class. His eyes still fixed on his schedule, he felt someone roughly bump into him, nearly knocking him over. When he looked up, he was met with a human boy, with light green eyes, and long brown hair. He held a smirk. "Watch where you're going, _half breed." _ InuYasha scowled, and swore inwardly.

_'I will not give this bastard the attention he is so desperately seeking.' _

He simply exhaled and walked past him. The boy chuckled. "Ya, must suck to be half of two different things, huh? Technically, that means _no one _will accept you. Pfft, your life must be hell. I'd rather be all of one thing, than two parts of noth-" Before the boy could finish his statement, InuYasha gripped his shirt, lifting him off of the ground, a sickening look in his eyes.

"Do you think I give a _shit_ what you have to say? A mere _mortal?_ I've heard it all before, how about you be more fuckin' creative?"

The human gulped nervously, and a crowd began to form around them. Seeing the people, he huffed and roughly dropped the boy, and turned on his heel, going the direction to his class. The crowd began whispering, so InuYasha flattened his ears against his head, straining to block them out. As he did, his eyes landed on a lone figure standing in the doorway of his class, eyeing him. His golden eyes met beryl colored ones.

_'Kagome...'_

Her expression told him that she had witnessed what had transpired between him and that human. Her eyes held an unfamiliar ache, and for some reason, it bothered him. She was clutching the door frame rather tightly. In fact, he could see her nails digging into it, as if she were worried. Her thin brows furrowed together slightly, and she wouldn't take those beautiful eyes off of him. It gave him chills.

_'Damnit, what the hell is she looking at?_

Without offering her any words, he walked straight past her into the classroom and silently took a seat. She continued to watch him for a moment, before taking a seat opposite the room. Obviously, they had the same 7th period, but she was across the room, so that relieved him.

The class went by relatively fast, and before he knew it, he was walking on the sidewalk on his way home. It was raining again, so he thought he'd walk instead of taking the bus, savoring the wet drops that pelted against his warm skin, cooling him. His house was about 45 minutes away on foot, but he enjoyed the excercise. This peacefulness, his sense of calm would no longer be present when he got home. He scolwed at the thought. His dad would ruin any bit of happiness that InuYasha scarcely had.

_'Not that I'm even happy. The only time I ever was, was when Mother was here..'_

Trees shook violently, and the sky was getting much darker than it normally should have at such an early time in the afternoon. He inhaled, taking in the raw scent of the drenched enviorment. "A storm is coming," he whispered, to no one inparticular. His ears began to twinge rapidly, many sounds entering them at once.

He gazed at three shcool girls across the street, shrieking at the rain. "Ugh, my hair is going to be totally drenched! I told you we should have taken the bus, Yura!" He heard one of them say. The girl called Yura shrugged .She had eyes the shade of blood, and short dark hair. He noticed the flimsy clothes all three wore, as if begging for attention. He grimaced.

_'Friggin' disgusting.'_

They were quite_ busty_, and nothing was wrong with that, but it didn't mean the entire world wanted to gawk at them.

"Well, _sorrrrrrry! _I didn't think it would be pouring like this!" Yura defended, tugging at her short skirt. She looked up to see a pair of mesmerzing, auburn eyes watching her. She smirked, thinking she had attracted his attention. And hey, he sure as hell was cute. "You like what you see?" She called, pulling her shirt down slightly, leaning forward, giving him a better view of her chest.

He sneered.

"Not in the least."

Her mouth was left agape, and her two friends began to giggle.

"Looks like even _you_ can't always get what you want, Yura," one of them snickered. She scowled at them.

"Oh, I have no desire to be with him. Look at those ears. Only a _half breed _would have those. Good thing I'm not interested," she called, loud enough for him to hear. He merely shrugged his shoulders and muttered a "whatever," and continued to walk, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He tilted his head upward, toward the sky to feel the droplets coat his face. His eyes were shut, and he looked nothing short of angelic. Yura huffed at his nonchalant attitude and stormed off, her friends following after her. Not much later, he was at his front door step, pulling out his key from his pocket.

The Takahashi home was quite large, holding five bedrooms and three bathrooms. His father had been a success, perpetually holding an innocent facade. His co workers only knew him as a _"great"_ father, and indeed a family man. InuYasha huffed, and opened the wooden door, causing it to creak slightly. It was unusually quiet, so the hanyou sighed in relief, thinking he was alone. He slipped off his wet shoes and walked into the kitchen, only to stop and see his father standing by the counter, sorting through the mail.

_'Crap.'_

The older man's eyes drifted to his son, while holding a mug to his lips. "You're late," he said sternly, no longer gracing him with his eyes, as they traveled back to the mail. "And soaked." The hanyou yanked on his collar nervously and slowly walked forward.

"I uh, I walked home. Needed some fresh air."

His father stuffed the mail into the drawer, setting his mug down. He faced his son and crossed his arms, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Considering that you are nothing more than a _portion_ of an authentic demon, I guess I cannot expect even _insignificant_ things from you."

InuYasha was completely numb. He had grown numb so many years ago, so his father's words had little to no effect on him anymore. Still, it did piss him off. He clinched his fists tightly, and bit the inside of his cheek, trying his best to watch his words. The only thing that prevented him from giving the demon a piece of his mind was the fact that he needed somewhere to live, at least until college. Izayoi had saved a trust fund for him, thank Kami, or else he might have never been able to even attend college.

_'Dad sure as hell wouldn't pay for it.'_

InuTaisho waved his hand in the air. "Off with you. I'm starting to feel nauseous just from the sight of you." InuYasha silently walked upstairs into his room, his fists becoming even tighter than before. He shut his door and fell on top of his bed, inhaling rather loudly. A bolt of lighting shot through the sky, followed by thunder. He exhaled, the sound soothing him. His room was painted a very dark red, and was a decent size. He only had his bed, his desk and a closet in it, which was fine with him. His comforter was black and red, his favorite colors. His eyes slowly shut, recalling his first day of school._ 'The only class I have to even worry about is Psychology.. I better finish that packet.' _He slowly sat up and reached for his backpack, taking out he and Kagome's work. He stared at her handwriting, watching how she did every curve of every letter.

_'At least the girl's handwriting is legible.'_

***

"Mom? You here?" Kagome called, closing the door behind her. She balanced herself against the frame as she slid off her shoes and made her way toward the kitchen. "Yes, Dear! In the kitchen!" She heard her mother call back. A delicious smell reached Kagome's nose, and she practically felt saliva forming in the corner of her mouth. She walked in and sat at the table, her mom's back to her, stirring something over the stove. "Geez, Mom, that smells great! What is it?" Her mother turned to face her, wearing a casual smile.

"It's ozaku! By the way, how was school today?"

Kagome grinned at the meal of choice.

"S' ok."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?"

Kagome thought for a moment, remembering today's events, and sighed.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He hadn't been early the next day. The storm from the day before caused a slight power outage, reseting his alarm clock. He had raced around the house, getting his supplies together. He was praying to Kami that he wouldn't miss the bus. He had run to the bus stop, only to see it fading into the disatnce. He cursed inwardly, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He began to sprint, passing many people as he did so, and even bumping into some. He'd get a "Hey!" or an "Excuse you!" from many civilians, but of course, he'd never offer an apology.

_'It's their damn fault for being in the way.'_

Luckily for him, he was only about five minutes late, as he quickly rushed into the classroom in the middle of Ms. Kaede's teaching. She eyed him for a moment as he took his seat, but said nothing.

An hour later, class was dismissed. InuYasha looked around for Kagome, intending to give her back her work. She was in the doorway, chatting with some of her friends. He swallowed roughly, hating having to approach her in the first place. He moved slowly, hoping she'd see him and come to him. She turned her head in his direction and smiled warmly, making her way toward him.

"Hi!" she greeted. He cleared his throat, and shoved her work in her hands. "Here's your work. Um, Thanks, y'know, for letting me use it." he grumbled lowly, his palms suddenly feeling clamy. Damn, he hated thanking people. He wasn't _used _to having to thank anyone. Her smile remained. "No problem, InuYasha! Just happy I coudl help!"

_'Happy she could help?' _Maybe she actually wasn't a bad person, maybe she actually didn't want anything from him. Maybe he should giver her a chance, maybe-

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" She asked softly, breaking his thoughts. Hearing those words drew him wild. He narrowed his eyes at her, and bit down on his bottom lip. "I knew it," he whispered. She raised a brow.

"You knew what?"

"I knew you were just like everyone else," he spat out, suddenly getting a headache. Her face held a shocked expression. "What?"

"Don't play dumb! I knew you had something up your little sleeve! Of course, I'm so stupid, how didn't I see it before! You pretend to want to help out of kindness, then you dive in for the kill. You want someting, just as I expected. What the hell is it? I'm a damn half demon, Kagome. Or have you forgotten? I can't possibly have anything for you. Or wait.."

He squinted his eyes, his jaw clinching. Seeing the surprised and hurt expression on her pretty face only pissed him off more.

"You're doing this for you own twisted pleasure, aren't you? Because I'm a hanyou, you feel the need to toy with me? This is all a-"

A warm, tingling sensation suddenly hit his right cheek. His eyes widened at the realization. Kagome had slapped him. The expression on her face was unreadable. She glared at him for a few more moments before turning her back to him and walking out of the classroom.


	4. Apology

**Another chapter! Yay!**

**Bad news is, this chapter is incredibly SHORT, so forgive me for that!**

**My blabbering is now ceased!**

**Enjoy!**

**:D**

The rest of the day was rather sluggish. InuYasha casually drummed his fingers on his desk, his eyes currently gazing out of the nearby window. The sky was an amazing blue grayish color, many white clouds blocking the sun. His ears twinged, the teacher's words going in and out of them. He sighed, realizing his thoughts were defiantely elsewhere.

_'That stupid girl actually slapped me.' _

He couldn't believe it; she actually worked up the nerve to hit him! He scowled.

_'That wrethced wench. How dare she slap me for telling the truth? She's probably just salty because I caught on to her little game.' _

The sound of the bell broke his thoughts. 6th period was dismissed. He stood, along with all of the other students, and momentarily stretched. He grabbed his backpack after shoving his materials inside, and headed out of the room. As always, the halls were crowded. He managed to get by, and soon entered his 7th period classroom. Too enthralled in his thoughts, he didn't see the collision that was about to occur. Another student had accidentally bumped into him, sending their papers flying across the floor. Huffing, he gazed up to see who it was. His mouth formed a twisted grin. The oh so familiar girl looked up at him while retrieving her papers, glaring at him menacingly.

"Well, Well, Well, if it isn't Kagome," he cooed, taking full advantage of this precious opportunity. He was going to make her life a living_ hell _for toying with him. She sneered, and slowly stood, papers now in hand. "What is it, InuYasha?" she asked nonchalanty. He held a smug look.

"What's wrong princess? You seem a little _distraught_. Is it because I figured out your little game?"

Oh, he was enjoying this.

She squinted at him, her fingers curling into the palm of her hand. "I feel_ sorry _for you." She had said those words so coldy, surprising him. "You feel sorry for me? Hell, you should feel sorry for yourself, since I figured out that you-"

_"Shut up." _

He raised a brow, his anger growing. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he spat out.

"You're so achingly oblivious. Someone tries to help you, and -"

He snarled.

"You wanted something from me, you idiot! How the hell is that helping me?"

She inhaled, clinching and unclinching her fists.

"InuYasha, I was going to make you promise to always come to me when you_ needed _help. That was the favor I was asking of you. You're so ready to stereotype me with everyone else, and for that reason, I feel sorry for you."

She spun on her heel and stormed toward her seat, the desk scraping loudly across the floor as she did so. His mouth dropped slightly at her reaction.

_'That's what she wanted? For me to promise her that? No way, she's lying.' _

The feeling that twisted in his gut told him otherwise. He cursed.

_'Damnit, the wench wasn't lying.' _

He slowly took his seat, still pondering over the situation. So, if she_ was _telling the truth, should he apologize?

_'Pfft, to hell with that. Wench ain't that important.' _

"Ahem, I've got some important news, class!" Announced the teacher, who happened to be a raccoon dog. The chatter ceased, and all eyes landed on him. "There will be a field trip next week to the Saiyagushi Biochemistry Museum! It will be a free trip. If you are under the age of eighteen then you must have a Parent/Guardian permission slip signature to be allowed, if you are eighteen, however, it is totally up to you!" The students began chatting among themselves. The red headed fox demon raised her hand.

"Yes, Ayame?"

"How long will we be gone?" She asked, wearing a sly smile.

"The trip is from 8:30 until the end of school." Some of the students cheered. InuYasha sat back in his chair, weighing his options_._

_'I aint no fan of Biochem, so I sure as hell don't want to go on this trip.' _

"What if we don't want to go?" asked Kagome softly. All eyes were on her, eyeing her suspiciously. "Why wouldn't you want to go?" one of the students asked. Kagome chuckled. InuYasha raised a brow.

_' I wonder why she wouldn't want to go.' _

"I didn't say that. I was just curious," she quickly explained. Mr. Hotchi cleared his throat. "Well, Kagome, if a student does not desire to attend this trip, then they will stay behind doing paperwork." _'Oh, the hell with that. I'm going,' _The hanyou thought, grateful Kagome asked that question. The class progressed, and eventually, after multiple equations, the bell rang. The students rushed out of the room in a hurry. As they went into the hallway ,two friends greeted Kagome. "Kagome!" Sango yelled, fighting her way through the incredible crowds. The girl looked up, seeing her friend struggle.

InuYasha exited behind the girl, seeing this lady named Sango approach her. Not too far from Sango was the familiar boy he had encountered the day before. "Hi Sango!" Kagome greeted brightly. Miroku followed behind Sango, wearing a grin.

"Hi Kagome! You look as beautiful as ever!"

His eyes drifted to the hanyou not too far behind her.

"InuYasha? I didn't know you had a class with Kagome!"

The girls diverted their attention to him. InuYasha rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I don't see how that's anything to brag about."

Sango and Miroku's eyes widened, while Kagome's cheeks turned red from anger. "I wouldn't exactly call _you_ something to brag about either," she snapped. He glared at her. "I swear you're a bitch," he grumbled, his index finger and thumb pressing against the very top of his nose in frustration. She gasped. She had never been called something so derogatory. Sango frowned. "How dare you call her that?" she spat out, her fists clinched. Miroku sighed. "I'm sure InuYasha didn't mean it," he said softly. The hanyou glared at him.

"Says who? The hell I meant it!"

Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes again. "I don't understand you," she whispered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. He felt a gnawing feeling in his stomach, seeing tears on her pretty face once again. His ears flattened defeatedly against his head. "I didn't do a thing to you, InuYasha." She sniffed and continued. "Just because you aren't used to people being kind, you verbally cripple someone who is. I didn't do anything for you to talk to me that way." Her words tore through him. He gulped.

_'She's right.. she didn't do anything to me..'_

"Listen," he began, scratching the back of his head. She put a finger to his lips, and hiccuped. "Save it. I won't bother you ever again, I swear." She pulled Sango by the hand and led her friend toward the exit of the school. InuYasha sighed, his eyes never leaving her figure. "What happened between you two?" Miroku asked softly. "I've never seen her so upset."

"She's..an idiot," InuYasha mumbled.

"But I'm an even bigger one. Damn girl made me feel.."

"Like an asshole?"

The hanyou glared at Miroku evilly. He quickly shoved his hands in front of his face, shaking them. "Just giving suggestions! But seriously, Kagome is..really fragile, warm hearted." The hanyou huffed.

"I figured that much out."

***

His feet grounded against the pavement continuously. He had decided that he would walk home in the afternoons, not passing up the chance to get some decent excercise. That damn thing called a conscience was beating him up.

_'Damn that foolish girl. Damn her sensitivity. Why couldn't she just leave me alone like everyone else?'_

***

"You're a waste of space. Why would the Kamis curse me with a son such as yourself?" InuTashio shouted, his eyes blazing. InuYasha's ears flattened against his head. Before he could reply, Sesshomaru entered the kitchen. "Do not waste your breath on him, Father. Surely you realize that a mutt isn't worth it." InuYasha growled.

"What gives you the right-"

"Silence!"

InuTaisho interrupted, slamming his fist down on the countertop. He rubbed his temples afterwards, as if they would rid him of such a curse.

"The Gods are not answering my prayers, I swear. The only reason your still here is because of that _wretched_ mortal."

InuYasha scowled, bawling his fists.

"Don't you talk about my mother!"

The demon grimaced.

"You don't deserve to_ live_, I hope you realize that."

Something inside of the hanyou boiled at his father's words. He felt something in his brain snap. "Scurry off, InuYasha. Stop wasting space down here. Father and I are about to have a talk," Sesshomaru said coldly. InuTaisho smiled, welcoming his words. "Yes, my only true son and I are about to spend some quality time._ Leave_." The Gods gave InuYasha the strength to bite his tongue and stomp upstairs, shutting his door as he did so.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the days passed, the hanyou noticed Kagome had kept to her promise; she ignored him completely. Didn't even spare him a glance. Every now and then in the hallway, the girl named Sango sneered at him.

_'Oh great, another one is after my sanity.'_

As much as he hated to admit it, Kagome was bothering him. Her ignoring him made his conscience eat him alive.

It was final.

_'I'll have to apologize to that damned girl.'_

It was the day of the field trip, and the students began to board the buses. InuYasha slowly walked down the aisle, his eyes scanning for a vacant seat. They rested on Kagome. She was sitting alone. This could be his chance. Gulping, he slowly approached her seat. Like always her eyes found the window to be the most interesting thing in the world, for she didn't notice him. She felt a sudden weight collide with her's on the seat, and her eyes shot up, looking straight at him. He cleared his throat. "Um..Hi." He managed, hoping she'd be forgive him instantly.

She didn't.

Instead, her head turned back toward the window, ignoring him completely. He ran his hand over his face, sighing.

_'Of course this wench has to be as stubborn as me.'_

"Listen wen-er, Kagome. I wanted to.."

_'Damnit, just say it!'_

Her eyes were fixed on him now, and for a moment, she watched him struggle, then sighed. "You don't have to apologize, InuYasha. I shouldn't have-" "Shush, you stupid girl!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, ok? You didn't really do anything _bad _to me..."

She smiled. He mentally winced at how that small smile gave him butterflies.

"I forgive you, InuYasha." She was wearing that grin like it was the latest style.

He groaned.


	5. Field Trip

**Don't really have an author's notes!  
**

**So enjoy!**

**:D**

**--------------------------------**

The bus began moving, and chatter was heard among it. Kagome had her back against the window, facing InuYasha, making him uncomfortable. "So," she began, that amazing smile never leaving her gentle lips.

"What made you apologize?"

He exhaled.

_'Dammit, why couldn't I just keep my mouth closed?!' _

"I did, so isn't that good enough?" He snapped. The hurt expression on her face made him wish he could take back those words. "Ok, look. I'm just not used to people like you." She raised a brow.

"People like me?"

"People who are particulary nice for no reason. I haven't exactly figured out your plan yet, but whatever it is, I'll say that it defiinitely is different."

She huffed in frustration.

"InuYasha, for the last time! I have no plan!"

He could tell she was getting rather annoyed. He looked down at his hands, averting his gaze. She noticed his eyes soften slightly. "Can you really blame me for thinking that way?" he asked softly. Her eyes glistened at the pain in his voice.

"InuYasha.."

"I'm used to being shunned. When a person is suddenly so accepting.. I push them away."

"What about your family?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. His gaze hardened and his jaw suddenly felt tight.

"I have no family."

"What do you mean you have no-"

"Can we change the subject?" he hissed, running his fingers through his abnomarlly, evanescent locks. She gulped and nodded.

"O-ok. Umm.."

"Or better yet, let's just not talk at all," he added, resting his head against the back of the seat. She sighed.

_'So much for him opening up.'_

He shut his eyes, enjoying the vibrations of the wobbly bus. Kagome fixed her gaze back out of the window, a small smile on her face.

_'He's not a bad guy at all. He just needs a little push_.'

"Kagome?" She turned her head to gaze at the hanyou, his eyes still closed.

"Hmm?"

"Your scent..it's calming. I..I like it."

She felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

"Are you actually complimenting me, InuYasha?"

Her question quickly brought him back to reality. He snorted. "Feh, don't get use to it, wench." She huffed and turned back toward the window.

_'I guess he's going back to calling me wench then! The jerk!'_

***

"As you can see class, many scientists are famous for their Biochemistry studies," explained Mr. Hotchi, leading his students along the museum and reffering to the portraits that hung along the amazingly boring walls. Many students held back sighs. "It would have been better doing that lousy paperwork than this excruciating crap," one boy mumbled. Many students chuckled. Mr. Hotchi faced them for a moment, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Alright! Now, I'll leave you all to explore this gigantic building. Meet me back here in two hours."

The students quickly seperated, spilling in all different directions. Kagome exhaled happily and quickly walked over to a nearby table, dumping her sketchpad and graphite pencils onto it. InuYasha eyed her carefully, before propping in the chair across from her. She looked up at him and smiled, but said nothing. "Don't think I'm sitting here because I actually want to be next to you," he barked, crossing his arms. "Just don't feel like exploring this crappy museum." She nodded, her eyes not leaving her paper, as she shaded over her illustration.

He raised a brow, after gazing at her artwork. He had to admit he really admired it. It even crossed his mind to tell her of his passion of art, but he fought against it.

"What, no snappy retort?"

She shook her head.

"I understand that you don't like me, InuYasha. I get it."

For some odd, inexplainable reason, that tugged at his heart. He sighed in frustration. Finally, she gazed up at him. When those cerulean eyes met his, he felt that familiar electricity. "What's wrong?" "Why do you always have to say things like that?" He snapped, finding difficulty tearing his gaze from her. She looked at him, confusion shading her features. "Things like what?"

"Things that make me feel..remorse!" She giggled. He widened his eyes at her.

_'I've never heard her laugh before..It sounds.. nice.'_

He instantly put on a facade. "What's so funny!?"

"You InuYasha." She replied softly, her laughter dying down. He huffed.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That night, the hanyou did something he hadn't done in ages. He drew. He had a sudden inspiration, but wasn't too sure what it was that had caused it. He stayed up all night, working at his desk, erasing, balling up papers, and shading. He took a break and glanced at his other work, framed and hanging on his walls. Despite having a corrupted family, art was what he lived for. Taking in all of the images from his everyday life and making it one, detailed picture. That's what his goal was. He leaned back on the hind legs of his chair, watching the clock on his desk.

"4:17. Might as well stay up now."

His shut his eyes momentarily before going back to his illustration, rather satisfied at his progress.

***

"Takahashi! Wake up!" Snapped Ms. Kaede, a yard stick pounding against his desk. He was up in a flash, massaging his sensitive ears. The students chuckled. "Dammnit, Was that really called for?!" he snapped back grumpily. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Watch your mouth, cannot afford to doze of in my class. You have left me with no choice." She walked back to her desk and picked up her grade book. "What are you going to do? Expel me for failing?" he retorted sarcastically. "Unfortunately, no. I will assign ye a tutor." His jaw was left agape.

"No."

She raised a brow.

"No?"

"Yes."

She sighed.

"Then I will fail ye."

He groaned impatiently. "Fine. Who the hell is it?" She smiled and gazed back into the book." The student who has the best grade in this class. That would be.." As she was speaking, InuYasha's eyes drifted toward Kagome, as she held a grin on her face. He raised a brow.

_'Why is she grinning like that?'_

"Ms. Higurashi, looks like your the candidate."

His jaw fell again.

_'That's why!'_

"If you tutor this stubborn young man, you will definitely be rewarded with extra credit, Kagome. The choice is yours," Ms. Kaede announced. InuYasha muttered something short of intelligble and huffed.

***

"Why did you take up the old hag's offer to tutor me anyway?" he grumbled, as they stood in front of her doorstep. She smiled.

"Why wouldn't I?" He rolled his eyes.

"Now come in so we can get started."

"I swear, you have to have the girliest room imaginable," InuYasha taunted, standing in her doorway as she walked over to her desk, setting down her. She playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"There is nothing wrong with pink, thank you very much!"

"Whatever, let's just get started so I can leave."

Her eyes softnened.

"InuYasha?"

"What?"

He began emptying his Psychology things on her pink, fluffy bed.

"Who blamed you for your mother's death?"

That question made him stop dead in his tracks.

"That's none of your damn business."

"But InuYasha-"

He glared demonically at her before moving directly in front of her.

"Do not put your nose in things you know nothing about."

"It wasn't your fault," she said softly, locking eyes with him.

His eyes narrowed, as he trapped her against the wall, forcing her to stay put.

"How the hell would you know? Were you there? Do you have someone to remind you that you killed you mother every_ fucking _day? Of course not. You know how I know? Because your mother is still _alive. _Now answer me this, Kagome."

She gulped.

"What is it that you find so interesting about me? Why are you so damn eager to help me?"

"Listen to yourself, InuYasha," she spoke softly, searching his achingly lonely eyes. "You're_ broken. _It's not _normal_ to feel the way that you do."

He scowled.

"Haven't you noticed? Nothing about me is normal. I'm two halves of noth-"

"Don't you say it," she snapped, putting a finger to his lips to silence him. "I know that jerk from the other day told you that, but InuYasha, you have done nothing for me to hate you."

She smiled.

"Sure, you're a jerk..but.."

He frowned, and she giggled.

He found himself doing something that he hadn't done in _so long_.

_He smiled._


	6. Quality Time

**I like this chapter!**

**Took me a while to write it, but I decided to reflect on bth of their lives at home,**

**aaaaaaaand, I think you all may like it also.**

**;)**

**Enjoy!**

"You are vile and dispicable, and your presence disgusts me," InuTaisho spat out, while his son continued to drag his pencil across his artwork. "Whatever." Was all the hanyou said. The demon narrowed his eyes. "Are you getting smart? I can have you out of here in less than a second, do not forget that." InuYasha gritted his teeth, his clinched jaw moving back and forth. His father had invaded his _sanctuary, _his room with those callous words.

It just meant he had had a bad day at work, and InuYasha was subjected to his negative emotions.

"I'm talking to you, vermin. Or do I need to bring that bitch you call a _mother_ into this conversation to get a rise out of you."

That was it.

InuYasha's fists were clinched so tightly, his mechanical 5.0 pencil broke in half. Seeing his reaction made the dog demon smirk.

"She was as filthy as you, and she so eagerly laid on her _back_ for me," he continued, leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed. InuYasha slowly stood, his breathing becoming rather loud.

_"Shut up," _he spat out. The smirk increased on the demon as he continued his rants.

"Izayoi was nothing short of a _whore." _

That very instant, InuYasha no longer fomed a coherent thought. He suddenly felt so_ hallow_, a sudden desire to kill. He grabbed his father by the throat, digging his nails deep within it, causing blood to spurt out in many different directions, and he punched him square in the face.

"What the _fuck _gives you the right to say something so _callous_ about my mother?!" he snarled, as his dad lay on the floor.

InuTaisho recovered quickly, being the full demon that he is, and now held his son by the neck, squeezing the life out of him. "Did you honestly think, that with human blood running through your veins, you could stand up to _me?" _ He let go after a few moments, making his son drop to the floor, struggling for air.

"When you are ready to _die, _rise up to me again."

With that, InuTaisho left the room. InuYasha swore loudly, not realizing what came over him. He had _never _laid a finger on his father. He slowly stood, and returned to his desk, retrieving another pencil. He drew, attempting to calm his nerves. He coudn't stay there much longer, he _wouldn't_.

He exhaled, and shut his eyes. The only decent thing about his life was art. Art gave him a future, a life without his father. He'd get out of there, alright.

Soon enough.

***

"Souta, stop being so greedy!" Kagome complained, swatting away her little brother's hand as he reached for one of her home baked cookies. "Ow! And I just want one! They smell so good!" He whined, rubbing his now sore hand. She rolled her eyes, but managed a smile anyway, and handed him one chocolate chip cookie.

"Now off with you!"

"Thanks, sis!"

Kagome wore her hair up in a high ponytail, giving her neck room to breathe. She wore an apron to prevent the cookie dough from splattering all over her clothes. It was Saturday afternoon, and InuYasha would be coming over for Psychology tutoring. _'This will be the second time that he'll be over here,' _she thought, while stirring more batter. The first time hadn't gone so bad, but maybe this time around, things would go a bit smoother. Also, no one had been present, so he hadn't gotten the chance to meet her family.

"Kagome, Buyo is possessed! He ate an old piece of a demon's remains I had for safe keeping. He'll kill us all!" Her Grandpa yelled, parading around the house, chasing her stubborn, overweight, spotted cat.

_'Make that crazy family,' _she thought, a small smile playing on her face. She was rather content at the moment. She had stayed up all night, working on another one of her drawings.

_'I'm probably the only person who spends a Friday night drawing.'_

She was eager to start another one later that day, but had to attend to her impossible Biochemistry homework. She groaned. She_ loathed _that class with a strong passion. Who knew someone could hate something passionately? came trodding down the steps, carrying a basket filled wth laundry, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Hey, Kagome. Is my nose decieving me, or is that chocolate chip cookies I smell?" She asked, setting the basket on the floor.

"Oh, you're right on the mark. Don't forget to add the _"homemade"_ part in there though," Kagome responded, winking at her mother. She chuckled.

"What's the special occasion?"

Kagome dipped the batter onto a pan and slowly put it into the oven, and slowly faced her mom.

"One, no one _needs_ an occasion for cookies! And two, I'm having a friend over to tutor in Psychology. I think it'll be a good snack for us."

Her mom raised a brow, but her smile grew.

"And what is this friend's name?"

"InuYasha," she answered, rinsing her hands in the sink.

"Ohhh, so it's a boy like I thought! I can't wait to meet him!" The girl blushed, shaking her hands frantically in front of her.

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. And.."

Her eyes drifted to the floor, a sad expression coating them.

"He's.._different_. Distant. So we can't overwhelm him, or he might run off."

Seeing her daughter's expression made 's eyes soften.

"He seems like a nice young boy, though."

"He's a half demon, Mom. He's been shunned his entire life. He's not used to people accepting him with open arms."

Her mom sighed.

"When I first met your father, he was a bit on the shy side also. He had this brick wall surrounding him, his thoughts. But I've learned.."

Ms. Higurashi watched the ceiling, a sad smile on her face.

"All it requires is love, Kagome. Love heals_ everything_. Even though your father died five months ago, my love for him is helping me get through it."

Kagome felt tears build uo in her eyes, and she embraced her. "I miss him," she whispered. She began to stroke her daughter's hair.

"We all do, sweetie. Love is what keeps us going, it's what makes us cope."

***

"Damnit," he grumbled, examining the wounds on his neck that his father had left. He huffed and grabbed his backpack, and exited the house, walking down the sidewalk to Kagome's place. He had almost forgotten they had a study session today.

_'It'll be good to get out of the house at least.'_

The breeze swayed his blanched hair, coaxing the dog ears that rested upon his head. He shut his eyes and inhaled, taking in many different scents at once. He found himself comparing them to Kagome's. He grunted, as his mind began to drift to her. She had made him_ smile_. Gods, how the hell had she managed that? He bit the inside of his cheek and sighed. "Damn Kaede for these tutoring sessions. Damn Kagome for..." What was he damning her for again? For making him smile? Oh yes, that.

"Damn her for making me smile. My life is so convoluted, I'm not _supposed_ to be feeling at ease."

He continued to grumble to himself until he was on her doorstep._ 'I really hope her family isn't here..' _The last thing he wanted to do was be around a lot of people when he didn't have to be. That had always really bothered him. He knocked on the door, taking the time to admire the shrine she lived in. Moments later, a girl covered in batter and powder answered. Her eyes widened. "I-InuYasha! You're early!" She immediately blushed at her own appearance, embarrassed. The look on InuYasha's face hadn't helped. He looked..amused? "Are you here alone?" he asked, taking note of how nice her sapphire eyes glowed, as the sun's ray hit her face in the perfexct angle.

"No, everyone's here. Why?"

He felt a knot in his stomach. "No reason." He stood awkwardly at the doorway. "Well, come in!" she said, chuckling, and gently yanked him inside. The scent of cookies immediately hit his nose. He felt saliva forming in the corners of his mouth.

A taller woman entered the kitchen, smiling warmly at him. He gulped. "Hi! You must be InuYasha." She said brightly, extending her hand to him. He hesitantly shook it. "N-Nice to meet you, ." The woman's expression looked forlorn. "It's Ms." She corrected softly, her eyes looking rather distant. He cursed inwardly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-" Her expression turned bright once again, and she waved it away. "Oh, it's no worries! I'll get Gramps and Souta so you can meet them!" She hurried out of the kitchen, leaving the students alone. "Your father.. he's dead?" InuYasha asked quietly to the girl standing across from him. She nodded, somberly.

" About five months ago."

_'Why in the hell did I ask that? Now she's going to be all sad!'_

Before he could direct the topic elsewhere, a little boy that looked to be about eleven entered the kitchen, only with a grumpy old man.

"Souta, Gramps, this is my friend InuYasha," Kagome introduced, a small smile present on her rosy lips. Souta immediately walked up to InuYasha, examining him.

"You're a demon, aren't you?" he asked, amazement shining in his eyes. "Erm..Hanyou, Kid," InuYasha grumbled. Souta's expression was bright now. "Geez, that's so cool, InuYasha!" His eyes widened. "C-cool?" Kagome giggled. "Listen here, hanyou, don't you curse this shrine!" Gramps said, pointing his cane at him. "Gramps! Stop being rude!" ordered, wagging a finger in his face. InuYasha rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

***

"Name three sub fields of Psychology," Kagome ordered, rocking slightly in her chair. InuYasha sat indian style on the floor in front of her bed, chewing on one of her cookies. "Psychoanalysis.." She nodded for him to continue.

"Behaviorism..."

"One more!" She said, motioning with her hand.

"Aww, Dammit, forget it. I can't think straight right now," he grumbled. "C'mon, InuYasha. It's not hard, I promise!" He glared at her.

"It's not hard for _you_, wench."

About to give a smart retort, something in the corner of her eye stopped her.

His neck.

She drew her breath, and was next to him in an instant. "InuYasha..your neck..what happened?" She whispered, gently running her fingers over the wounds. He shuddered.

_'She's too close..' _

Her scent was sending shivers down his spine.

_'Vanilla, Honeysuckle..'_

"I-I'm fine."

"But InuYasha, this could get infected.."

"I'm half demon, it will heal just fine."

He had to get her away from him, she was far too close.

She sighed and stood. "Fine, if you say so! But-" She grabbed his arm and gently yanked it, pulling him up. "Let's go for a walk," she said, her grin bright. "Keh, what for?" he snapped, folding his arms.

"Whynot? It's nice out, and maybe it'll help clear your head. C'mon!"

She led him downstairs, and outside after telling her mom they were going out. The sun was beginning to set, and the wind picked up. Once outisde, Kagome stretched. The hanyou couldn't help but watch her. He noticed himself doing that often lately. Something about her beyond that annoying exterior of hers' was so damn _interesting._

They began to trail the sidewalk, heading toward the largest hill in the neighborhood.

"So!"

She began, swinging her arms. "Tell me something about yourself, InuYasha." He huffed.

"Like what, you crazy girl?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and rubbed her chin in thought. That gesture was adorable. "Um, do you have any siblings?" That question made him stiffen slightly.

"Yea, an asshole of a brother."

She raised a brow.

"Geez, don't you think that's a mean thing to say?" He grunted. "Not in the least. I hate him with all of my being." Her eyes widened. "But why-" "Can't you stop being so damn nosy all fo the time?" He snapped, putting an end to her interrogation. The hurt expression on her face made him instantly regret those words. Something weird was going on here. Usually, he never regretted _anything. _"Sorry," she murmured, gazing at the ground. He knew he was being an asshole, but her questions always seemed to strike a nerve inside of him. He huffed impatiently.

"It's..ok. Just not used to talking about this kind of stuff."

She smiled again, as they neared the very top of the hill. "I understand, let's change subjects! Like how much you'll enjoy the view when we reach the top of this hill!" she exclaimed. He rolled his eyes. "Doubt it. Not much of a scenic person." "We'll see," she said and winked. They continued until they reached the very top. Right before they did, Kagome had made him close to eyes, causing him to groan in annoyance, but he slowly complied. He felt her near his ear, and he heard her say, "Open your eyes."

He opened them, and they slowly widened, taking in the entire city. The sun was setting directly over it, casting an orange glow over the buildings and lakes. It looked _angelic. _ Kagome took in his reaction, a smile creeping on her face. She stood right beside him, waiting for his opinion.

"So, what do you think?" She asked softly, her gaze now straight ahead. He turned to her to give her his reply, admitting she was right.

The moment his eyes met her form, a gasp escaped his lips. The sun reflected on this girl in a heavenly manner, making her azure eyes glisten magically. Her lips were curved upward, as she was always smilling. Her creamy toned skin looked gorgeous with the orange tint, and her hair flew crazily around her, the wind tangling with it.

He could only utter one word, and it escaped his lips before he could stop it.

"Beautiful."


	7. The Play

**A:N/ I apologize for my horrible updating speed! School is right around the corner, so my plate has been full.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**:D**

The bell rang, dismissing the final class of the day, Biochemistry. The students quickly rushed out. Kagome slung her bag over her shoulder before being stopped. "Kagome, may I speak to you for a moment?"

asked, gripping the frame of his glasses. She raised a brow but quickly nodded.

"O-Of course!"

She stood uncomfortably in front of his desk, fidgeting with her fingers. He flipped through papers, and finally pulled out one from the seemingly endless stack. He quickly shoved it only inches from her face, it obviously being her assignment. She gasped, her eyes widening at the red numbers that were circled at the very top of it. She could actually feel her heart quicken its pace.

"A 58? I scored an F?!"

The raccoon dog sighed, stuffing the paper back into the stack.

"Kagome, you're a wonderful student. You're very attentive, and you take amazing notes. I think you may need _extra_ help."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"You mean like a tutor?"

He nodded, folding his hands in the center of his desk. "Just maybe a few days a week. Would you consider it?" She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat, but slowly nodded. "I will. Thank you for your time, ." He simply nodded. She left the room, holding her hand to her chest. She was actually failing. _'I knew I sucked at Biochemistry, but I had no idea I was this bad.' _A sudden thought struck her.

_'I wonder how InuYasha's grade is in that class.' _

She continued out of the building, spotting the hanyou only feet away, heading toward the sidewalk. "InuYasha!" she called, catching up to him. He turned around, his face showing no expression, while she struggled to catch her breath, falling in stride next to him. "You're going to miss the bus," he said nonchalantly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I just want to ask you a quick question," she said quickly. He raised a brow.

"What is it?"

"What's your grade in Biochem?"

"100%" he replied, without even a second of hesitation. Her mouth fell agape.

"What?! How?!"

He continued to eye her like she was insane, but answered. "I'm good with equations. Comes naturally to me." She wiped the sweat from her brow, getting ready to ask the question of a lifetime.

"Um, well..I-I..um.."

"Just spit it out, already," he snapped, getting annoyed. "Can you tutor me? Please, please, please? I'll continue to help you with Psychology, and maybe I could come to your house to-" "No," he said lowly, his expression darkening. She was _not_ going to his home, not for anything in this world. Not with his sick father there, _hell no. _She jumped slightly at the sudden change of his attitude.

"No? But why?"

"If i agree to this, it has to be at your place. Every time. We will not go to my house for anything. Got it?"

She nodded quickly, happy that he agreed.

_'Still...why doesn't he want me to go to his home?' _

"So, what's your grade in the class?" He asked, after a moment of silence, his nonchalant mood returning. She blushed, embarrassed, and quickly looked away. "Fittyate." She mumbled quickly. He raised a brow, a smirk forming on his lips. "Even my dog demon ears couldn't pick up _that. _What is it!?" She sighed in defeat.

"A Fifty Eight, ok?"

She could have sworn he was trying to hold back his laughter. She narrowed his eyes at him, before looking away and crossing my arms. "Welp, I can see why you need help," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "And by the way, the bus is taking off," he pointed out, tilting his head in the direction toward the moving vehicle. She clinched her first a few moments before muttering a few unintelligible words. The hanyou only smirked. "Looks like you're stuck with me, _princess." _Her eyes turned into slits, glaring angrily at him. He gulped nervously.

*******

"You will need to know what enzyme-catalyzed reactions are, how to identify the endocrine system, and every Synthesis that scientist have studied," InuYasha spoke, lifting the arms of the fat cat that sat in his lap. Kagome copied everything InuYasha said, while sitting at her desk. Like always, he had positioned himself against her bed, occupying himself with her cat. "Okay, break time!" She declared, stretching out her limbs, after spinning around in her chair and facing him. He couldn't help but notice how her thin, miniature shirt slid up, revealing a sneak peak at her well toned, even stomach. He cleared his throat awkwardly, making her survey him in curiousity. He quickly stood, feeling the blush enter his cheeks.

"I-I should go." He saw the sadness enter her cerulean eyes, giving him an eerie feeling. "Why? Is something wrong?" He quickly shook his head, grabbing his backpack, not realizing it was open. The moment he did, everything slid out of it, and onto the floor, including his many sketchbooks. She gasped, immediately picking one up.

_'Crap.'_

"I-InuYasha.."

She immediately flipped through the pages, her draw dropping further and further. "You're an artist," she whispered, in more of a statement than a sense of questioning. He slowly nodded, putting his other components back in is backpack.

"Y-you knew I _loved_ to draw. Why didn't you tell me that you do too?"

He huffed, snatching the book from her hands, and plopping back down on the floor. "I don't need you finding more reasons to be _interested_ in me. If you do, you'll continue to stick around like you have been." Hearing him say those words caused an unfamiliar pain to shoot through her heart. Her pained expression made him regret those words. "Kagome, I'm just not used to this, alright? You know that." She nodded, exhaling unevenly. "I know that, InuYasha. It doesn't make the words you say any easier to hear though." He cursed inwardly, finding himself always crushing this girl's feelings. "I just thought.." Her voice began trailing off, her gaze out of the window.

"I just thought we were at least _friends." _

"I don't _have_ friends," He grumbled, watching his clawed hands. He squeezed them.

She suddenly smiled, watching him warmly. "Rather you accept it or not, you do. So you can continue to put up this facade of wanting to be alone-" He narrowed his eyes at her."Or, you can get used to the idea of having someone else around." When she finished, she stuck her tongue out at him, making goosebumps appear on his skin. She stood, pointing a finger at him. "The choice is yours, InuYasha."

*******

Surprisingly enough, that idiotic ultimatum that Kagome had given him was trapped in his mind.

_'She's out of her damn mind if she thinks I want a friend.' _

He exhaled loudly as he reached his doorstep, his hand resting on the knob. He had just left her house, pondering over her ways. He quietly opened the door, the appendages on his head shifting in many different directions, attempting to pick up any noise. He heard his older brother talking to someone on the phone.

"Correct, run it by him first, then get back to me," Sesshormaru spoke into the phone, his voice dripping with ice as usual. InuYasha quietly shut the door behind him, and hurriedly walked by his brother, attempting to avoid confrontation. "You smell of a human, half breed," Sesshomaru blurted out, snapping his phone close and watching his brother attempt to sneak pass him. InuYasha stopped in his tracks and faced him, keeping a nonchalant attitude. "I was just around one," he answered, not bothering to explain any further.

"You realize, since you are a mutt, no human will ever accept you, yes?"

The hanyou's jaw clinched at his words, but he held his tongue. "If I wished for her acceptance, then that would matter," he seethed. Sesshomaru raised a brow.

"So in other words, the _bitch _doesn't, does she? She doesn't accept you, just like _everyone else._"

InuYasha could literally hear something inside of him snap completely. Maybe it had been his common sense, or his control. He had no clue. But for some strange reason, it really offended him hearing Sesshomaru call Kagome a_ bitch. _Sure, he had called her that before, but he wouldn't dare do it now._ 'She's not a bitch..at all.' _

"Don't call her that."

The demon smirked. "I knew it. A human girl has stolen your heart? Father would never allow-"

_"Father_, can kiss my ass. And she has stole no such thing," he shouted, stomping upstairs and shutting his door. His heart was practically beating out of his chest. He leaned against the door, his hair shielding his eyes.

_'What in the hell impelled me to stand up for her?'_

*******

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Kagome chirped, breaking InuYasha's thoughts as he slurped on his ramen. His eyes shot up, eying her curiously, as a noodle dripped from his mouth. She chuckled at the site of him. They were in the cafeteria, and instead of him sitting in his usual, alone spot, this cheery girl was inviting him over to her friend's table. He peered around her, at the table, to see a happy Miroku, waving at him, and a still bitter Sango, leering at him. She was still pissed about what he had said to Kagome. Finally, he glanced back up at the girl in front of him, before mumbling a "No thanks." She frowned.

"Oh C'mon, you stubborn thing!"

He raised a brow.

"Stubborn? Please, I'm far from it, _girly." _

"Ha! Yeah right!"

"What does that _'Ha' _mean? Are you contradicting me?"

She raised a brow, smirking. "Maybe I am! Watcha' gonna do about it?" He continued to slirp on his noodles.

"Nothing."

She furrowed her brow in frustration.

"Fine, see if I care! Stay here all alone!"

"That's the plan."

She stuck her tongue out at him and stalked back over to her table. He smirked, enjoying her anger. Gosh, it was so fulfilling to piss her off. She had so much_ fire _in her.

The day went on, and before he realized it, he was in 7th period, tapping his pencil impatiently against hid desk. "Attention!" Mr. Hotchi called, causing the side chatter to cease. He cleared his throat and continued.

"As you all know, besides teaching Biochemistry, I also teach theater. I will be directing _Romeo and Juliet _ this week, and I was wondering if I had anyone in this class interested in a part."

No hands were raised. Someone yawned loudly, obviously disinterested. The teacher rolled his eyes. "Anyone who participates will get 100% in my class for this term." Many hands raised then, including Kagome's. InuYasha watched her suspiciously. _'She's interested in acting?' _ He thought for a moment, then a realization hit him.

_'Duh, she has 58%, of course she needs the extra points.'_

Mr. Hotchi smiled at the students who raised their hands, and quickly began to copy their names down. "For those who are interested, we will start tomorrow during class. Those who are not participating will sit in the audience and help me judge." InuYasha groaned, placing his forehead in his palm.

_'The last thing I want to see is a group of pre Madonnas act.'_

*******

"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief,

That thou her maid art far more fair than she:

Be not her maid, since she is envious;

Her vestal livery is but sick and green

And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.

It is my lady, O, it is my love!

O, that she knew she were!

She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?

Her eye discourses; I will answer it.

I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return.

What if her eyes were there, they in her head?

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night.

See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!

O, that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek!"

Mr. Hotchi stood from his stool, clapping proudly.

"That was amazing Hojo! Absolutely amazing! Congratulations, you have the part!" The once called Hojo smiled brightly, as he stood on stage. InuYasha, along with the majority of his class, were sitting in the audience of the auditorium. The hanyou rolled his eyes. Something about that boy really _irked _him. Hojo took a seat onstage, rather happy with himself. Flipping through papers, Mr. Hotchi got ready to call the next audition for Juliet. So far, he had had so very little luck.

"Kagome, take the stage!"

InuYasha's ears acted on their own accord, shifting rapidly, hearing the girl's footsteps take the stage. The stage lights were drawn to her, making her body glow a beautiful gold. She cleared her throat awkwardly, her eyes roaming over the script. Her azure eyes shot up, grazing the audience before she spoke.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

InuYasha watched her quietly, taking in every word that she spoke. He couldn't help but notice how that Hojo boy had been eying her the entire time either. He scoffed. "You, my dear, are Juliet," Mr. Hotchi exclaimed in excitement. Kagome exhaled, a sudden feeling of relief wahing over her.

_'Finally, I'll have a decent grade in his stupid class.' _

The hanyou watched as Hojo appraoched Kagome, pulling her into his arms as if she were his. He grimaced. The nerve of that kid. The bell rang, dismissing school for the day. In more of a hurry than usual, InuYasha quickly exited the building, unusually _irritated._


	8. Transformation

_**Transformation**_

"He's quite nice, Kagome! Also, he's good looking! What more do you need?" Sango exclaimed, nudging her friend slightly as they made their way toward the cafeteria. Kagome sighed, massaging her temples.

"I know that, Sango. He's a very sweet guy, but... I'm just not interested."

She chuckled sadly to herself.

"And the funny thing, he's exactly how I imagined my dream guy to be. Smart, charming, caring, generous.."

"Then go for it!" Her friend replied as they took their usual seats at the table. "I don't have any feelings for him, though!" Sango huffed. "Kagome, you need to spend more time around guys! He can be the perfect start! You've been so withdrawn.." "I know, Sango. The only guy I actually spend time with is..." Sango raised a brow, before parting her lips slightly.

"_Kagome.." _

Kagome quickly shoved her hands in front of her face, shaking them, a worried grin on her face. "No, no! It's definitely not like that! But my point is..I'm not looking for anything like that right now, Sango." Sango sighed, defeated. "If you say so, Kagome."

***

He drummed his fingers against the arm rest.

He fidgeted.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand

This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:

My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

Hojo took Kagome's hand in his own, and bent down to kiss it gently. She cleared her throat and began.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

Which mannerly devotion shows in this;

For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,

And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

"I can practically see the love radiating from you two!" Mr. Hotchi announced, his voice bellowing with excitement. Hojo blushed, still holding her hand. "Well, it's not hard to get the emotion across when it's real," he spoke softly, searching Kagome's eyes, bringing her closer. Her cheeks went red.

_'Since when has Hojo become so daring?'_

InuYasha groaned inwardly, his ears flicking in different directions.

_'You've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me she's actually falling for that.'_

The bell rang, ending the day. The hanyou would have been quick leaving today like he had been all week, but he and Kagome had a tutoring session today. He scowled when he saw her still talking to that_ pathetic _Hojo character. He marched toward them, picking up some of their conversation as he did so.

"We can practice the kissing scene right now if you'd like, Kagome," he said sweetly, moving his face toward hers'. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. _'What do I do? We're going to have to kiss sooner or later, right? Maybe I should just let him kiss me and get it over with.'_

Slowly, hesitantly, she shut her eyes, waiting to feel his lips rest against hers'. She'd never had a real kiss before, and she had been hoping to have with someone more_ special_. Just as their lips were about to make contact, Kagome felt a sudden pressure jerk on her arm, yanking her back. Her eyes popped open, only to see a very irritated hanyou, glaring at her with disgust. "InuYasha?" Hojo, who still stood with his lips pursed, and his eyes shut, casually opened them. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted, catching a few stray glances from other students. She furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about? We were just-"

"I saw what you were _just _doing! Just c'mon, we have tutoring today."

With that, he pulled her out of auditorium, leering at Hojo the entire way.

***

"Amacrine cells are cells that integrate information across the retina; rather than sending signals toward the brain, amacrine cells link bipolar cells to other bipolar cells and ganglion cells to other ganglion cells."

InuYasha clapped, a smile on his face. It wasn't a smug smirk, but yet a gentle, warm _proud _smile. "That was amazing, Kagome! At this rate, you'll have at least 95% for this term!" The girl squealed in joy, wiping the bead of sweat dripping from her forehead. "Geez, and its all thanks to you, InuYasha!" She stood, and quickly yanked his arm, dragging him to his feet. He raised a brow in curiosity. "What are you-" His voice was cut short when he felt her small frame embrace him in her own, making that luscious scent enter his nose. God, it was enveloping him. "Thanks so much," she whispered softly, her chin resting on his shoulder. He couldn't move. He had forgotten _how_ to.

She was too close.

He couldn't help it; He rested his chin in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent, noticing it was much stronger in this area. Vanilla sugars and honeysuckle rushed to his nostrils, coaxing him.

_'She's too close..I need to get away..'_

He hated her. He hated her for having this effect on him. His mind screamed at him to run, his body wouldn't listen. "InuYasha?" she whispered softly, pulling back at arms lenghth. She gasped at what she saw.

His eyes were red.

Seeing her shocked reaction made those bloody eyes revert back to auburn, pulling him from his trance. He quickly shoved her away, grabbed his belongings, and dashed out of the house.

*******

"I can't believe I lost control, " he whispered, his fists leaning against the bathroom sink. His hair shielded his shut eyes, beads of sweat dripping down his face. A hand reached up to cover his face, attempting to cease the uncontrollable emotions that were flourishing from deep within him. He knew what was happening, and was fully aware he had no power to stop it.

It was inevitable.

*******

"You've been wasting away in that pathetic artwork more than usual lately," Sesshomaru said blatantly, leaning against the door frame of his younger brother's room. InuYasha sat hovered over his sketchbook, rapidly gliding a pencil across of it. He didn't bother to look up at the demon's comment.

"What's it to you?"

"Just a casual observation, _little_ brother. You do realize that no insignificant talent that you may possess will deny the inevitable? You will be a _failure_, nothing will change that."

InuYasha felt his molars begin to grind, as his fists slowly clinched and un clinched themselves. Moments later, InuTaisho stood alongside Sesshomaru, a smirk wide on his face. "Aren't you absolutely lucky to have a realist such as your brother? You wouldn't want to waste your life on silly drawings, now would you?"

InuYasha cursed, knowing full well they were right. Who was he kidding? He couldn't do this.

He was, in fact, worthless.

He balled up his artwork, the same artwork, in which only moments ago, he was very proud of.

Sesshomaru and InuTaisho held a smug look, both feeling accomplished, and walked downstairs.

InuYasha noted the veins popping out of the skins in his hands, threatening to break through their barrier. He smirked sadly, thinking about his mother.

"Death would be a place most suiting for me."

InuTaisho had always claimed Izayoi had betrayed him, slept with other men behind his back. He had grown to detest her, thus detesting the son that came from her being. The hanyou knew full well his mother was not guilty of such crime, and struggled to put together the peices of this imaginary puzzle that saddened him.

Since the moment Izayoi died, InuTaisho felt that he hadn't had enough time to punish that blasted woman, but a thought struck him.

Why waste time thinking about the mother, when he could make her son suffer just as much?

Thus, the abuse began.

***

"Draw with me, InuYasha!" Kagome insisted, immediately pulling out her pencil, while tossing him one. He instinctively caught it, but shook his head. There were in theri usual spot in her room. "Nothin' doin."

She frowned. "Whynot? I've seen your art..it's.."

"A waste of time," he finished gruffly. She raised a brow. "How could someone so talented call their work a waste? You should take pride in it!"

"You just don't get it," he said softly, shaking his head. "What is there to understand, InuYasha? You're talented. You have your entire life ahead of you. If anyone tells you otherwise, they're an idiot."

He smiled at her last remark.

***

JULIET

"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words

Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:

Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"

ROMEO

" Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike."

JULIET

" How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?

The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,

And the place death, considering who thou art,

If any of my kinsmen find thee here."

ROMEO

" With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;

For stony limits cannot hold love out,

And what love can do that dares love attempt;

Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me."

JULIET

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee."

ROMEO

"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye

Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet,

And I am proof against their enmity."

"I would not for the world they saw thee here."

ROMEO

" I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;

And but thou love me, let them find me here:

My life were better ended by their hate,

Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."

JULIET

" By whose direction found'st thou out this place?"

Mr. Hotchi declared a break, providing Kagome and Hojo a moment of peace. InuYasha found himself digging his clawed nails into the cushion of the seat, dreading the play. With everyday that passed, he realized they were getting closer and closer to the scene where they would have to share a kiss.

He dreaded that.

Bu this was only because he couldn't stand that Hobo kid.

That had to be the only reason.

Right?

Psht, of course. There could be no other reason. Hobo just seemed so annoyingly _nice._

To Kagome.

Nothing was wrong with that, right?

It irked him that Kagome had no intention of putting the little brat in his place either. Didn't he see that she wasn't interested?

She wasn't interested, was she?

He shook his head casually.

Nah.

He had to admit, ever since that incident, when she hugged him..he was feeling amazingly _drawn_ to her.

She hadn't even realize what it was that she had done, just by that simple gesture.

She brought out the demon in him.


	9. Boyfriend!

**Today is the final day of summer.**

***sigh***

**So my updating speed with most likely plummet.**

**:(**

**But I promise, I will continue this story until the very end, just have faith in me!**

**:D**

He couldn't help but notice how the gentle breeze cascaded through her silky, ebony locks, swiftly pushing it in different directions at once.

He couldn't help but notice how the wind blew the scent of wildflowers, which seemed to be emitting from her, in his direction. He couldn't help but notice how the thin fabric known as a "tank top," and a loose pair of jeans that hugged her waist fitted her slender figure so amazingly.

He couldn't help but notice how such a simple being could look so elegant, how her skin practically glistened under the sun's rays.

Her eyes, a darker shade of almond, lit up, hints of auburn hidden in their depths. With a huff, he watched as she shut her car door, luggage in hand, and fiddled with the set of keys in her free hand. As her flip flops sounded the pavement, he saw her sneak a gaze in his direction, sending him a heart warming smile. Just that smile alone, sent vibrant bolts of electricity down his spine. The back of his neck became prickly with goosebumps. No coherent thought was able to form in his mind.

And just that quickly, the girl had diverted her attention back to her front door, driving the key through the lock. Moments later, he was left outside, standing alone.

So this woman appeared to be their new neighbor.

He clutched his forehead, swearing inwardly.

She was human.

And God, was she beautiful.

The worst part of this all?

_'This Sesshomaru does not give any human a second glance.'_

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I swear you'll be the death of me," InuYasha mumbled with mock annoyance, to the girl that had slowly crept her way into his heart. She giggled, her hands still shielding his view. "Oh c'mon, it's not that bad! Don't ya trust me?"

Even though the question required no answer, InuYasha couldn't help but ponder over it for a moment.

_'Do I trust her?'_

Sure, he felt at ease when he was around her. He felt this side of him that had died years ago, that was tucked away into the shadows. Kagome was a dim, yet vivid light that was slowly but certainly brightening up significant parts of him. He missed feeling this happiness, this euphoria that he had felt so long ago.

He wasn't supposed to feel this way, though.

He was a half demon, who brutally murdered his mother, which is why he pushed her away.

He wasn't supposed to feel ecstasy, this maddening intoxication.

But he did.

And he loved it.

What scared him the most was the fact that her scent teased his demon side. He cursed inwardly recalling the effect she had had on him. If he stayed around her much longer, it would become uncontrollable.

Said woman was leading him somewhere during their lunch hour, her dainty palms covering his eyes as she eagerly walked him outside. Cherry blossom petals sailed the trails of the wind.

Finally, he felt her fingers slide from his face.

"This is my secret spot!" she exclaimed, clutching her hands together, a wide grin on his face. His auburn eyes flickered open, gazing at his surroundings, before bringing his brows down. They stood outside school grounds, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. Many students walked around, laughing and chatting.

"Uh, Kagome? This spot doesn't look very _secret_ to me."

She huffed, before plopping down next to a tree, and patting the ground next to her, signaling him to sit. He complied, his legs automatically drifting to an indian style manner. "Well, whether that be true or not, it's still a nice spot!" she debated, while opening her brown paper sack lunch. He smirked and shut his eyes briefly, enjoying this sense of calm, feeling of halcyon that he always felt with this girl. His stomach began to grumble loudly, and he cursed inwardly, realizing he forgot his lunch. "Here," Kagome offered softly, holding out a container of rice balls to him.

He opened one eye and huffed.

"I'm fine, missy."

She chuckled, and sneakily tickled his stomach, making him yelp in surprise.

Taking advantage of that moment, she slid a piece of the rice ball in his mouth, smiling as she did so.

"Now eat."

He snorted, but chewed, savoring the taste of the food she practically forced down his throat.

At the same time, he felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, before sticking his tongue out playfully at her, and diving in, snatching the rest of the rice balls from her.

"Hey!" she shouted, reaching for them, giggling.

"Give those back, piggy!"

He smirked, holding them out of reach. "Piggy, eh? Y'know, I could eat all of these all by myself! "

"I'll tickle you again!" she threatened, raising her fingers menacingly. He yelped like any dog would, and quickly handed her the tray of food.

She smiled warmly, before offering him another. He eagerly accepted, his stomach finally becoming settled.

He hated to admit it, but..

_'This is the best day I've had in a very long time..'_

***

"Alright! I'm going to try to shove another Biochemistry session in before we get back to rehearsals!" announced, shoving a pair of reading glasses on his nose. The students were finally back in the classroom, temporarily at least.

"Rehearsals will be on Thursdays and Fridays from now on. After all, I know you all missed this class so much!"

The teacher received agonizing sighs and complaints, but he chuckled them off. The classroom phone rang. immediately answered, making the class break out into a soft chatter. InuYasha spotted that Hojo boy sitting behind Kagome on the opposite side of the room. He tapped her shoulder, making her turn around. He then proceeded to lean forward and whisper something in her ear, making her giggle. InuYasha began to chew on the inside of his cheek, clutching his fists tightly.

'Why does that kid bother me so damn much? He makes me friggin' blood boil. I don't like him being around...her.'

He maneuvered his ears like satellites, managing to pick up their conversation.

"We should go out sometime, Kagome. How about a movie Saturday night?" Hojo asked, his eyes scanning over her in hope. She gulped nervously.

'Uh oh. Now what do I say?'

InuYasha scowled.

_'That idiot just doesn't give up, does he? Kagome wouldn't dare go out with him.'_

"It's just a movie, then I'll take you straight home, I promise!" he said, watching the wheels twirk in her head. She sighed.

'One date couldn't hurt, right?'

"Uh..ok?"

The hanyou's eyes widened.

"Did she-"

"Oh thank you so much, Kagome! I swear you won't regret it!" He said excitedly.

"She accepted!? What the fu-"

"Alright, settle down class!" Mr. Hotchi exclaimed, resting the phone back on the hook and handing out a sheet of paper to the class.

"This will be tonight's homework! Do problems 1-25."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He noticed how she had changed into a vivid golden sundress, her chestnut orbs complimenting it quite well. Her hair was up in a loose bun, a few loose strands acting on their own accord, forming around her face. She gazed up at him, offering that familiar cordial smile.

As like before, he showed no sign of acknowledgment, but continued to pierce her with his honeyed eyes, not moving them even for a moment. He watched her get into her car, and slowly drive off into the distance, before cursing once again. He found himself doing this a lot lately.

He'd sit on his porch, pretending to read the newspaper, but secretly waiting for the chestnut eyed girl to come out of her house. Watching her was like a sport. He ached for the breeze to blow her scent into his direction, just to savor the wildflowers she represented.

She'd always offer him a smile, even knowing he wouldn't do the same.

She was kind.

And then he'd curse to himself for doing it again, only to repeat his actions the next day.

She was sin.

***

"I need tutoring this Saturday," InuYasha blurted out, shoving his hands into his pockets, as Kagome followed in stride next to him on their way back to her house. She raised a brow.

"Why so sudden?"

"I just want to be extra prepared for the test next Friday," he answered quickly, avoiding her piercing blue eyes. "Um, alright. What time would be best for you?" she asked, yawning, and stretching her limbs out.

"About seven-ish," he replied nonchalantly, and eyed her sneakily, waiting for her reaction. She rubbed her hand over her chin, an inquisitive look on her face. "Mind if we make it a bit earlier? I have this..thing to do around that time." He snorted, making her glance at him suspiciously. "What?!" she demanded. He crossed his arms stuck his nose in the air, a cross look on his face. "You have a date with that Hobo guy. That's your 'thing', isn't it?" Her jaw dropped. "H-how did you know what about that?" she stammered.

He feh'd.

"That's not the point. If you want to go out with your boyfriend instead of tutor me, it's fine. Not like I care."

Her eyes softened.

"No-no, it's not like that..and he's definitely not my boyfriend! And if you really wanna know.."

She moved closer to him, wrapping and arm around his, making him incredibly skittish.

"I prefer to be around you than him! So geez, quite worrying, InuYasha!"

She grinned, as they stepped on her front porch. He noted on how she still clutched his arm, sending a line of goosebumps in that area. He was becoming rather sweaty, and he felt his demon side pulsing, threatening to awake. Her honeysuckle aroma drowned him, as he felt his eyes literally roll in the back of his head. The moment she opened the door, he sped into the bathroom, quickly shutting the door behind him.

He rested his hand son the sink, and proceeded to splash water on his face until he cooled off.

This needed to be handled.

Definitely.


	10. The Kiss

**Hi everyone! It's the weekend, so I decided to update. School is back in session, and boy, is it a pain.**

**Any who, I shall not ramble on for too much longer.**

**Enjoy!**

**:D**

**

* * *

  
**

The night air tickled his cheeks, sending white strands of hair in his face. He carelessly shoved them aside, his auburn eyes glued to the papers inside of a vanilla folder. Sesshomaru was going to be inheriting InuTaisho corporation eventually, so there was much paperwork to be done. He sat comfortably on the porch, the light emitting from the roof being his only company.

It was around midnight, his brother and father were sound asleep. He began to massage his temples, growing rather frustrated.

_'If Father wishes for me to take over his company, then I will do just that.I shall put my wishes aside.'_

The alluring scent of wildflowers reached his nose, making him immediately jerk his head up. Just as he suspected, he watched his beautiful new neighbor exitting the door, jerking a thin sweater over her pajamas. Feeling eyes on her, the woman looked up, locking eyes with the demon.

Just as always, Sesshomaru felt goosebumps forming on the back of his neck. Her eyes halted all thoughts that were previously occupying his mind. She smiled and waved, and slowly made her way over. His breath hitched.

What was he going to do?

She was_ human_.

That automatically meant she was an _imbecile._

She was _inane._

_Irrelevant._

_Naive._

_Moronic._

_Deficient._

_Foolish._

She was-

"Hi!" She said softly, finally reaching the porch, leaning against the banister. He said nothing, only pierced her with the golden suns that rested on his face. She cocked her head to the side, making her hair tumble lovingly down her shoulders.

"Are you busy?"

His lips slightly parted, and he found his tongue pushing on the roof of his mouth, un hesitantly about to say no.

Was he crazy?

Of course he was busy! He had to fill out many legal documents. How could he_ not _be busy?

The girl giggled, seeing the internal battle the man before her was having. He perked up, surprised. Laughter was quite rare in his life. Hers' made him feel unusually _warm. _ She slowly sat on the top stair of the porch, her back to him. Her head tilted back slightly, her eyes roaming over the constellations. "Do you ever sit back and wonder about your past life? About why you have the life you have today?" She whispered, a genuine smile on her rosy lips. Sesshomaru consciously tilted his head back also, wondering if they were looking at the exact same star. Truth be told, he did give thought to his past life.

Who didn't?

"I've been through so much in my life," she continued, not tearing her eyes from the abyss above. She began to fiddle with her fingers nervously. "It makes me wonder what I did in my past life to deserve such a fate."

His gaze burned her back, watching her with a great amount of intensity.

Why was she telling him this?

_Why wasn't he stopping her?_

"But I'm not one to complain, so I know I shouldn't be rambling on like this. I'm actually quite happy with my life at the moment. But _still.." _She gazed at him, her eyes the sky no longer fascinating her. Her gaze made his mouth unusually dry.

"Do you ever feel like a large chunk of your _soul_ is tied to someone else?"

Her words lingered in the night air for a moment, before she stood, stretching her limbs.

"It was nice talking to you. By the way, my name is Rin."

*******

"Wow, we got finished early," Kagome exclaimed, stretching her arms out in the air. InuYasha yawned, also stretching.

"Ya, I guess we did."

She reached over and glanced at her alarm clock, rubbing her chin in thought.

"What?" InuYasha asked, moving beside her.

"It's 6:30. That means I can actually make Hojo's date."

The hanyou's expression darkened.

He silently threw his backpack over his shoulder after stuffing everything in it. Kagome looked at him, curiosity shown in her eyes.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," he said gruffly, walking toward the doorway.

"Wait!," she called, grabbing his backpack, halting him.

"Why? We just got done! You don't want to hang out first or anything?"

"You're going on a date. No point in me being around. See ya later," he replied, manuevering out of her grip, waving her away. She dropped her hand, a sorrow look in her eyes as she watched him leave abruptly, the door creaking behind him.

*******

"You look dazzling, Kagome," Hojo whispered, his eyes roaming over her, a bouquet of red roses in his hand. She smiled warmly, accepting his compliment. She simply wore a dark tanktop, and navy loose jeans, while her hair was up in a messy bun.

"You look handsome yourself," she responded, slipping a dark hoody over her shoulders.

He was a bit over dressed, sporting an all black suit. She had to admit he _did_ look rather handsome. When she gazed into his eyes, however, they were_ empty_.

There wasn't any emotion present in them, which overall was a negative.

Maybe it was the fact that his brown eyes just didn't appeal to her like they did to every other girl at their school.

Or maybe... they just weren't _golden_ enough...

*******

He was going absolutely mad. Everything had been fine until _she_ arrived.

_She_ had to go and change things.

Boy, he_ hated _change.

He hated _her_.

_She_ was the root of the many of his problems.

_'But she's also the solution of the majority of them,' _His mind argued.

He shook his head, his sterling locks tumbling over his shoulders.

"Bullshit. The girl causes more problems than she solves."

_'If that's the case, why not drop her?'_

An uninvited numbness entered his being.

"I can't.."

_'Why? If she's such a hassle, let her go. She's dating that Homo guy, she'll forgot all about you anyway.'_

He felt his jaw clench.

"That's not what the hell I want, and you know it."

_' Then welcome her. Stop pushing her away. She's bound to run into another human's arms eventually. Or better yet, she's on a date right now, isn't she? That means she already has..'_

InuYasha found himself sliding on his red hoody, and quickly exiting his house, the cool night air teasing his cheeks. He inhaled deeply, his ears twitching in various directions, picking up many different sounds. His feet acted on their own accord, sprinting silently among the Tokyo sidewalks.

He was going to find her, and tear her away from Homo. He'd follow her scent to wherever the two were headed.

_'What are you going to tell her? You can't go in there blindly, you need a plan.'_

The hanyou scoffed. "Whatcha' think I'm telling her? I'll take her up on that offer. I'll be her friend."

*******

"I'm glad you picked somewhere within walking distance, Hojo," Kagome spoke softly, her onyx hair gliding in the breeze. Hojo smiled, his cheeks beginning to turn red. "T-thank you, Kagome-san. I'm happy you could accompany me to dinner. I wanted to keep things simple." She gazed at his over dressed attire and giggled. "Simple? If you say so." He also chuckled, a bit nervously, though.

Little did they know, a pair of amber eyes were glued to them...

An hour or so later, the two were standing in front of Kagome's door. Hojo rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his cheeks red. "Thanks again for a wonderful time, Kagome. " She smiled, a bit exhausted. Sure, they had had fun. He even paid for dinner. But there was just something missing. He was such a nice guy, and any girl would be lucky to have him, but she didn't want to be that girl..

"Me too, Hojo. I'm glad we;re friends," she responded, hoping he'd catch the hint.

Being the dense boy that he was, he didn't.

But you all knew that, right?

He simply smiled, the blush still present on his cheeks. She faked a yawn, breaking the awkward silence. "Well, I should probably be getting inside. See ya' later, Hojo."

Just she began to turn away, Hojo grabbed her arm, and surprised her by planting a gentle, yet firm kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened in shock.

Before she could break away, the kiss was over, leaving a grinning Hojo.

"Night, Kagome."

He waved, walking in the opposite direction. As soon as he was out of site, she let out a choppy breath, realizing what just took place. Her fingers flew to her lips, her eyes still wide.

"He kissed me..."

"Looks like you enjoyed it, _Kagome." _ A familiar voice erupted from behind her. She quickly spun around, to come face to face to InuYasha, and unreadable expression written on his face.

His voice was unusually _icy._

"InuYasha? What are you-"

"Why did you let him kiss you?"

His question caught her by surprise.

She furrowed her brows before answering.

"I didn't exactly let him, I just-"

"That's not how it looked to me," he said grimly.

She nibbled her bottom lip in confusion.

He narrowed his eyes at her action.

She was chewing on the same lip that guy had just _kissed._

The whole situation was _sick._

"Why are you here?" she whispered, moving backward. Hojo's scent was all over her. He scoffed in disgust.

"It was nothing. Go back to the Hobo guy, your scent is disgusting."

With that, he sprinted away, leaving a sad girl behind.

*******

"Where have you been, boy?" InuTaisho asked, upon hearing his son walk through the door. InuYasha grunted, far from the mood of putting up with him at the moment.

"Was taking care of business."

With that, he quickly fled upstairs to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Monday would be a very long day.

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**Reviewing is a nice thing to do!**

**:D :D  
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	11. Missing

**AN: Oh gosh, please don't kill me. *Dodges the tomatoes and other various items that reviewers are throwing at me***

**Geez, it's been over a month since my last update. I'm so sorry! School is a son of a you-know-what. :|**

**Eeh, the last year of high school should be fun, but eh, you know how that goes. Or most of you.**

**Spanish III Honors is so hard. :|**

**Golly, it's slowly breaking me.**

**But enough of my rambling, please enjoy this update, as I"m not sure when my next one will be!**

**Once again, sorry for my tardiness!**

**Enjoy!**

**:D**

---

She was late. The bell had rung at least four minutes ago, and he found himself trailing his clawed fingers along the wooden desk impatiently. The students were chatting quietly among themselves, while Ms. Kaede called roll, her eyes scanning around the room before sliding a finger up to her nose, gently shoving the loose framed glasses back into place. His ears twisted, turned, spiraled, swiveled, hoping to pick up the faint pitter-patter of church shoes in the hallway, making their way toward his class.

He didn't.

He groaned irritatingly, his bisque eyes squeezing shut. Where the heck was that girl? He wasn't done giving her a piece of his mind for going out with Hojo on Saturday. He grimaced, replaying the kiss they had shared. It made his blood boil. He found himself growling quietly, his jaw suddenly feeling clenched. He didn't quite understand why he was so drawn to Kagome. She was incredibly irritating, she talked entirely too much, and she had a temper as bad as his! Even with this being so, that didn't help calm his nerves at the fact that she wasn't there. She was probably just running late, like usual, and forgot to set her alarm clock the night before.

He chuckled at the thought. That girl was a lunatic, deranged in millions of ways. His mind wandered to that child-like peace sign she threw up every time she accomplished something, like a Psychology problem. She'd whirl around, her obsidian locks tumbling behind her, and grin like a five year old missing their front teeth. That made him think of how clumsy the girl was, always tripping over imaginary items. She'd look back, blaming the invisible object for making her stumble, when in fact, it was just the tip of her shoes causing her the trouble. He shook his head, thinking about how easily she got annoyed. He had once walked in on her singing to herself in the mirror, her purple hairbrush in hand, pivoting around her room like some amateur back up dancer. He chuckled at the sight of her, causing her to jerk her head around, her jaw dropping, realizing she had had an audience. She had been so furious, tossing various objects in his direction. He barely dodged them, even with his inhuman speed. It was then that he realized that she was a typhoon when angry, and he had been striving to stay on her good side ever since. Ms. Kaede had begun her lecture, it being about twenty minutes into the class now. He scowled, becoming rather impatient.

_'Where the hell is that nitwit?! She's never this late!'_

***

"Walk with me," Rin said softly, her lips curving upward into a smile, as she moved forward, her eyes reaching into his. He had looked up only to see her there, her face centimeters from his. He took advantage of the moment to finally gaze into her eyes, seeing the depth of them. They were a million shades of brown, ranging from hazel, auburn and chocolate. He took notice to the almost concealed freckles across the bridge of her nose as well, and how the corners of her lips were a slightly darker pink than the middle. The sky was becoming a vicious gray, the fall red leaves gliding on the wind's invisible trail. It was in the middle of the day, noon-ish, as he sat on the front porch, work in hand. His golden eyes widened slightly at the sight of her, for she had managed to sneak up on him, bombarding him with her scent, which happened to be more of green apples today, and only a hint of wildflowers. It took all of him to keep up his nonchalant facade, as he simply gazed at her, and then down at his work again, ignoring her. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she was persistent.

"C'mon, you're always here working, you deserve a break, Mister!" He continued to scan his eyes over the words on his paper, his mind not even having the strength to process what he was reading. She would go away soon, right?

She huffed, but then smirked, and snatched the papers away from his grasp, making his eyes jet upward at an amazing speed. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she held the papers in the air, out of arm's reach with him sitting down, and then quickly bolted, her feet sounding against the sidewalks down the street. So she wanted to play a game of chase, eh? He smirked evilly as he was in front of her in a flash with his demonic speed, his arms folded over his chest in triumph at her shocked expression. The wind began blowing more fiercely, making the couple's hair entwine in the wind. She nearly bumped into him, barely halting herself using the balls of her feet.

"How did you-?" Before she could finish, he quickly grasped the papers back from her hand, gripping her wrist after he did. He held it in the air, letting her know who the more powerful one was in this situation. "Do not be so foolish as to distract me from my studies, or next time, the consequence may be deadly." Even with the harsh words hanging in the air, and the grim line Sesshomaru's mouth held, Rin didn't fear him in the least. At the contact the two had made, she took note of how his deep, auburn eyes had grew a shade darker, showing a deeper emotion than what he was letting on. She simply smiled, and sneakily stretched out her fingers in his grasp, making him raise a brow warily. With her free hand, she clasped his wrist and moved his hand up, so that it was matching hers', and stretched out his fingers to match hers', eying their hands in comparison. "It seems your hands are bigger," she commented, chuckling slightly. Her copper eyes softened slightly. "Yet they're so cold." He could feel the electricity emitting from her touch, instantly warming ever fiber of his body. His mouth became unusually dry, realizing this was the first time she had touched him. Without warning, he dropped his hand and silently headed back to the porch, cursing himself for letting a simple touch from her affect him so. She was human for Christ's sake. "Y'know, I'm getting tired of calling you Mister! What's your name?" She shouted at his retreating figure. He stopped walking for a moment, and turned his head to the side.

"Telling you my name will do nothing for my sake, thus I deem it pointless."

His answer left Rin with confusion coating her features, her brows drawing together.

She frowned.

***

The wind continued to tumble with the leaves, knocking cherry blossom petals in various directions. A pair of honeyed eyes traveled over the entire backyard of the school, itching to fall on a certain human girl. He groaned in frustration when they didn't. Where the hell was that girl? It was lunch for pete's sake! Mumbling things nothing short of intelligible, InuYasha collapsed in the comfy spot in front of the same cherry blossom tree he and Kagome had sat at a few times before. He let his head lean against the trunk, his eyes shutting momentarily.

Why did he always feel so at peace around her? She was so irritating, yet he realized that she was so much like himself, but also opposite in many ways. She didn't know what it was like to feel real pain, to struggle.

She just lost her father. She has felt real pain, his mind argued. He sighed, realizing his mind was right.

_'She just wears a mask so well. Always so cheerful, so optimistic. I guess I kind of envy her. My pain shows in my actions, in my words. But how could it not? She can read me better than anyone, so she must relate to the way I feel somehow, or how else would she have that capability?'_

He huffed, wishing he could talk to her right now. He craved a simple conversation with her. No arguing, or anything of that sort, but just to talk, to gain more of an understanding of one another. After all, she had tried to get him to open up, right?

_'And all I did was lash out at her for it. No wonder she went running to that Hobo guy for support.' _

He absentmindedly grimaced, and muttered a curse.

_'I guess I shouldn't have yelled at her like that..'_

All of this thinking only made him ponder over her whereabouts even more.

What if something happened to her?

His eyes popped open at the thought, suddenly beginning to worry.

_'Kagome..what if she's in danger? Or, or what if-'_

He quickly shook his head.

_'You're being paranoid. She's probably just running late. I bet she'll be here by the end of the day.'_

---

His ears were twitching nervously a top of his head. His right knee was bouncing absentmindedly, anxiously. He was clenching, unclenching his fists repetitively. It was 7th period, and she still hadn't shown. To say he was disturbed was putting it lightly. Not knowing where she was was making him anxious, extremely annoyingly anxious. She hadn't shown up throughout the entire day. Wheels were visibly spinning in his head, at such a speed that they were beginning to travel off course. His thoughts were just plain foolish now-he'd thought of every scenario possible.

What if the mafia had arranged a kidnapping for Kagome, and they planned to keep her captive until her family came up with a decent amount of cash?

What if she was on her way to school this morning, but someone pulled out a knife and threatened her?

What if she had a terrible skiing accident, and was in the hospital?

What if a massive tornado attacked her shrine and swept her up and tossed her on the other side of the country?

Once again, he subconsciously shook his head from side to side, making his sheet white hair tumble over his shoulders.

_'What am I thinking? I need to get a grip. I'll just go see her after school. She's fine.'_

_If she's so fine, why isn't she here?_

He growled. Why did he have to be so sensible and realistic sometimes?

Obviously, something was wrong, for the priestess would be sitting right in his view if that weren't the case. He'd sneak glances at her, and wait for Mr. Hotchi to walk past her desk whilst handing out the assignment, and watch as his tiny tail sway back and forth, sending her scent in his direction. He'd inhale greatly, the aroma if many lavish smells rushing to him.

"It seems that Kagome is absent today. Would anyone mind taking her the work that she missed?" questioned Mr. Hotchi, a stack of papers in hand as he stood in front of his class. InuYasha noticed how Hojo began to stand, as if offering to do the job. He growled menacingly, and quickly stood, and rushed for the papers, nearly snatching them from the teacher's hands.

"I'll do it. She and I have tutoring today anyway." He attempted to sound a nonchalant as possible, and glided back toward his seat, his facade neatly kept up.

"That's extremely kind of you, InuYasha."

The hanyou simply nodded, too lost in his thoughts to give a coherent response. The bell sounded, and he quickly scurried outside of the building, his destination quite clear.

---

His fists collided with the door at least five times now, and still no answer. He was becoming even more anxious.

_'Where is she?'_

He felt beads of sweat form on the back of his neck in worry.

Was she alright?

Suddenly, his ears stood high on his head--he heard footsteps from inside. Someone was coming!

And suddenly, as if an answer to his prayers, the door slowly slid open, revealing a very disheveled Kagome. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

Her eyes were quite foggy, glossy, and red. Her nose was puffy, with spots of pink coating the edges of it. Her hair was in a high ponytail, many stray strands falling carelessly on her neck, while fringes were poking out in many different places. Her face was unusually pale. She wore a pair of sky blue pajamas, with miniature clouds painted on them, a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers. She held a piece of tissue in her right hand, and proceeded to blow in it before her eyes widened at the sight of who stood at her door.

"I-InuYasha?"

"Shit."

Of course, why hadn't he thought of that?

She was_ sick._

He certainly was an idiot.

"You're sick?" he questioned hesitantly, making sure he had a reason to let his worry-wall drop. She nodded, and proceeded to sneeze into the tissue.

"Yeah, sorry, but you might not want to tutor together today. Don't want to give you my terrible cold." He simply gazed at her in awe.

She was _okay._

Ignoring her, he strode into the house, shutting the door behind him. He removed his shoes at the door, and handed her her work.

"Here's what you missed in Psychology. Don't worry about the tutoring, just go lay down!" he ordered, ushering her back upstairs.

Her lips parted slightly in confusion.

"But Inu-"

"Shush, woman! You're sick! Where's everyone? Don't you have someone taking care of you?"

She solemnly shook her head.

"My mom's working, Souta's at school, and Gramps has been out grocery shopping for hours!"

He sighed and rolled up his sleeves, his eyes scanning over the kitchen.

"Do you have any soup?"

She slowly nodded, pointing toward the cabinets above the fridge. "Ya, but-"

"Off with you! I'm making you some soup, now go back to bed!" He gently shoved her toward the stairs. She giggled slightly. The sound of her laugh reminded him of genuine church bells ringing in the distance. It warmed him. "Fine, fine, I'm going." As she trudged upstairs, the hanyou rubbed his hands together, and went to work.

About twenty minutes later, he smirked in satisfaction. He had single-handedly made her a giant bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, with a few ingredients he had added to give it more of a zesty appeal. He also poured her a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, and put the two items on a tray. He slowly walked up the stairs and into her room, only to see her perched up, her back resting on a few of her satin pillows, working on a piece of art. At his appearance, she quickly shoved it away.

"This stuff should get you back on your feet!" he announced with a big grin, gently setting it in her lap. She attempted to take a big whiff of it, only to find her nasal passages were completely clogged. She sighed in defeat.

"It sure_ looks _good, and I'm sure it smells good too." He chuckled, before lifting up the spoon to her lips.

"Blow, it's hot," he ordered. She raised a brow. "Hey, I can feed myself, y'know!"

He rolled his eyes, but made no attempt to acknowledge her request. She sighed, but slowly parted her lips, blowing a gentle breeze over her food, before he shoved it into her mouth. After slurping it down, her eyes widened at the taste.

"Gosh, InuYasha! This is delicious. It's honestly the best soup I've ever had!"

His cheeks turned a light shade of red before turning away.

"My mother used to make it for me when I was sick."

Her eyes softened at his comment about his mother, and realized that he was slowly, but surely opening up to her. She smiled.

"Well I'm sure yours is just as good as hers'."

He met her gaze, and also smiled, before feeding her more. They sat in silence for a few moments as he continued to feed her, enjoying the other's company. "So what were you drawing?" he asked slowly, remembering he had interrupted one of her art sessions. A devious smile graced her lips.

"It's not done yet." He raised a brow.

"But what was it?"

She shook her head, her ebony locks beginning to tumble down from the loose ponytail that held them captive. "You'll just have to wait and see!" He smirked, a fang resting on the outside of his lip. "Fine, fine. But I guess this means we can't draw together." He crossed his arms and pretended to pout. Her mouth fell agape, and she grasped his arm. "Please, InuYasha? Can we? Can we? Can we?" He chuckled before shaking her off. "Alright, alright, alright. Just calm down, woman, sheesh." "Yeeeee!" She exclaimed, practically dancing with joy. He simply watched her, noted how her rosy lips curved upward into that smile he had grown to love.

Wait, love?

Nah.

Even in the state that she was in, he couldn't help but think she still looked _beautiful. _Sickly, but beautiful nonetheless.

"Kagome?"

She ceased her dancing, noticing the serious tone laced in his voice. He was looking down, bangs hiding his eyes.

"What is it, InuYasha?"

"Does your offer still stand?"

Her brows furrowed together questionably.

"What offer?"

"The offer to be your..friend."

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

Something undeniably had changed about InuYasha since she had become sick. It was as if not having her around for a day changed his perspective on many things...

Upon her hesitation, InuYasha's head shot up, meeting her eyes. He slowly felt his heart break.

"I mean, it's fine if you don't! I understand, Kagome, so-"

He was cut off by her arms suddenly wrapping around his torso, making his breath hitch in his throat.

"Of course it stands, InuYasha. Thank you for giving me a chance." Her scent overwhelmed him, and he shut his eyes, taking deep, cautious breaths to stay in control.

Feeling empowered, he slowly hugged her back, a small smile resting on his lips.


	12. Barrier

**I'm trying to improve my updating speed just for you guys, coz' trust that I know how it feels to wait on a story!**

**School is swallowing me, but I'm multitasking!**

**Also, I want to take this time to thank ALL of my reviewers! You guys are my oxygen when it comes to this story, so thank you VERY much.**

**Anywho, Enjoy.**

**:)**

**Kagome attempts to crack the mental shell around our hanyou, but if it were that easy, things wouldn't be as interesting, would they?**

********

"You like it?" Kagome asked sheepishly, her head tilted to the side, a half grin wearing her rosy lips.

Her raven hair tumbled over her shoulders, the wind momentarily playing with it, tossing it against the trunk of the tree. Her eyes sparkled--they gleamed with an unusual emotion of prospect, a sense of buoyancy. The sun made them glisten in a way InuYasha found absolutely fascinating.

Beryl shimmered enticingly in the depths of them, shades of a darker blue focused in the middle. The trees around them were almost bare, autumn taking its toll on nature. Winter was just a few days away, and the weather had been chilled.

Kagome had just gotten over her cold with the help of her loyal hanyou, of course. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes landed on the sheet of paper she was presenting to him.

His jaw dropped slightly, his lips parted, but uttered no sound. His brows furrowed together, but quickly raised. Those fiery eyes of his widened in utter shock and wonder.

The mini triangular appendages that rested atop of his head spiraled frantically, as if searching for an answer as to why his brain was sending his eyes this message--this message that Kagome had drawn him.

A real-life portrait. Not some idiotic, meaningless caricature, utterly mocking his appearance like he would have expected from most people. She'd drawn him from memory, that was plain to see. His head was tilted upward, as if he were gazing into the very depths of the sky.

His eyes were lidded heavily, as if he were slightly drowsy, or at peace with his surroundings.

His lips were parted slightly, while the ears on top of head were folded to his scalp, shielding themselves from the viewer. His hair, enduring and powerful, flowed loosely in an invisible breeze. The left side of his face was shaded thoroughly, while the right side lay there for the viewer's enjoyment, glistening profoundly. This InuYasha was fraudulent, he didn't exist, or at least he didn't around anyone but her.

It was drawn beautifully, the lines quite even, the shading expressing the true depths of the curves of his face.

He was speechless.

She'd drawn him.

Wonderfully.

A thought suddenly hit him when he fully registered this fact.

_'That drawing she did last week when I visited her in her room. She was drawing me..'_

"Kagome.." he managed, slightly shaking. This feeling he felt, he couldn't describe it. His stomach felt weird--like many creatures were jumping around in it. His arms held goosebumps, and his heart sped up. His palms became unnaturally clammy and he rubbed them against each other subconsciously.

"InuYasha?"

She frowned, a feeling of utter sorrow encompassing her.

_'He doesn't like it..'_

Her eyes began to feel a tad watery, and she shook the feeling off. She could just take this as a form of constructive criticism, right? He hated her drawing to high hell, so that just meant she would try harder the next time. She knew she wasn't perfect, darnit, but she didn't think she was terrible either. Maybe the shading was off. Was it beyond repair? Could she snatch it back really quickly and throw it across the school yard? Maybe she could try..

"No one has ever drawn me before.." he continued, his gaze still fixed on the piece of art. She opened her mouth slightly, but chose to remain silent.

He slowly ran his fingers across the picture, memorizing the lines by touch.

"Can I keep this?" he whispered, barely audible. She gasped in surprise.

He wanted to keep it?

"Sure, InuYasha... I.. you like it?"

He nodded slowly, before finally meeting her gaze with his own. She noticed how his eyes were a darker shade of golden, and they had suddenly grown extremely hard to read..

"T-thank you so much..I.." He suddenly stood, grabbing his backpack and tossing it over his shoulder. She stood also, before sliding the remains of her lunch back into her sack. Lunch had at least ten minutes left, so why was he leaving so early?

He rushed off quickly, waving her off. She sighed, but smiled, realizing he liked the picture after all. The thought alone caused butterflies to form in her stomach, making her cheeks turn a dark shade of red.

_'Why do I have butterflies whenever I'm around him? Something about him is just so obscure..'_

***

_'Why did she draw me? I don't understand..I'm a monster, and yet she made me look so..'_

He quickly shoved everything off of his desk, not caring at the moment of the junk pile he was creating. He whipped out a giant sheet of black paper, while also gathering a white colored pencil. He began to massage his temples, bringing Kagome's features into his mind. He smiled, recalling how the light hit her face at certain angles, making her usual cerulean eyes an amazing sterling. Before he realized it, his hand was moving across the paper at an amazing speed, capturing even the most minuscule of detail.

He was going to attempt draw the most beautiful creature imaginable.

He worked all night, having to switch pencils periodically, sharpening them to a nub. Being so involved with his art, he failed to pick up the faint patter of footsteps stopping at his doorway. He was initializing the final touches of this piece of art, a grin resting on his face.

He was_ proud _of it.

He managed the capture her captivating features beautifully. Staring at the picture was enough to give him that familiar feeling in his tummy whenever he was around her, making him blush slightly.

"She's going to love this."

Before he realized it, his artwork was being dangled in the air from a being behind him. He quickly spun around, only to see his father gazing at his work, a grim line forming on his mouth.

"Oh is she, InuYasha? This bitch go to school with you?"

InuYasha's fists clenched, making his knuckles unnaturally white. "She's not a bitch," he growled, quickly standing and shoving his chair aside with utter force. Now that he was beginning to get to know Kagome, he was beginning to kind of..tolerate her.

Ya, that's it.

His father quirked a brow, before a cynical smirk made his lips curved upward. The grin was completely wry, twisted.

"This human has taken your heart, yes?"

The hanyou quickly looked away, muttering something unintelligible.

He barely even _liked _Kagome as a person, so his father was down right_ insane _if he thought he actually..

"Let me spare you, half-breed. All humans are vile, despicable creatures. Especially human women. All of them are whores."

Before InuYasha could respond, his eyes widened in terror as his father ripped up his work right in front of him, then tossed it to the floor as if it were trash.

"You need not waste anymore time on that piece of trash. It wasn't all that good anyway. Aren't you lucky to have me around?" With an evil laugh, InuTaisho left the room, his voice echoing the hallways. InuYasha began to shake violently with vexation, agony.

He had spent hours on that artwork, shaping every single line perfectly.

His breathing became ragged, scattered, while his fists clenched and un clenched, blood dripping from them from the pressure his nails impacted on his calloused hands. He felt his demon side struggling to spring forth, wanting to demolish every bit of his father's being.

He inhaled roughly, attempting to calm his demon side before he lost control.

_'Don't lose control. Don't lose control. Don't lose control.'_

Still shaking, he grabbed his chair and slowly sat back into it, burying his face in his hands. His ears flattened against his head, realizing he had worked hours over a piece of artwork that no longer existed.

He had been so proud of it.

He'd given Kagome that addictive smile that she always wore, gave her blue eyes that familiar gleam of mischief she got whenever she had one of those many spontaneous ideas. He began to chuckle sadly.

"I couldn't even give her the wonderful gift she got me.."

His ears twitched anxiously, picking up the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Was it his dad coming back for a round two?

He huffed at the thought, his jaw clenching.

"You seem upset."

The voice was definitely not his father's, but that of frigid Sesshomaru. InuYasha gazed up at him for a second, meeting his naturally polar gaze with one of his own.

"What the hell do you care?"

The demon's brow quirked.

"Do not confuse a mild observation with feelings."

With that, he walked past the hanyou's room, leaving him in wonder.

Usually, Sesshomaru would offer a smart comment about him being worthless, inferior to him and his father.

Strange.

*******

"Hanyou! We're having company tonight. Make this place spotless," InuTashio ordered, sliding his red tie into place over his suit.

InuYasha simply nodded, sipping on a bottle of brisk water. They stood in the kitchen, as his father was about to leave. It was Saturday evening, and if he was lucky, he'd have the house to himself for a few hours.

Sesshomaru was nowhere to be seen, and as of late, he sat outside more often, staring into space.

"Your presence shall not be necessary. I do not desire you to be visible for anyone's eyes when my guests arrive. Your appearance is repulsive, and I do not need my fellow employees to vomit from the sight of you."

His ears flattened against his head, and he nodded in understanding.

InuYasha had been broken for many years now, the little light of hope burned out. He knew he was repulsive, how his very _being_ made people ill. Lately though, an annoying voice had been gnawing at him, telling him he was actually worth more than what he was used to.

That annoying voice was urging him forward, making him feel like he belonged in this world.

That annoying voice was Kagome's, and God, how he craved to hear it at the moment. Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost failed to notice the sound of his father leaving the house. He sighed in relief.

A few hours of peace.

His mind wandered back to the girl in question, and he developed the certain urge to hear her voice. His ears perked up, his memory serving useful.

Kagome had given him her number last week!

They had been in Psychology class, and in order to be able to contact each other at all times--for tutoring purposes of course-- she had given him her number, writing it on the very edge of his five subject notebook.

He scurried upstairs, his hand squirming through his backpack for the notebook. Moments later, he smirked in success, yanking it out, and seeing the seven digits he longed to see.

Why was he calling her?

To ask her about the homework that he obviously had forgotten about,_ duh._

*******

Kagome hummed to herself as she tapped her pencil against her desk, her eyes wandering over many biochemistry equations. She confidently solved them, her mind wandering to the hanyou that had made it possible.

Her gaze fell out of the window, the sun slowly disappearing over the horizon line, orange being dominant in the sky. Her mother was downstairs on the couch, her eyes glued to the Soap Opera channel, while Souta's were glued to his Kingdom Hearts video game. She sighed in contentment. Everyone was so_ at ease _at the moment, so calm and wrapped up in their own lives. The corners of her mouth tugged upward.

_'I wonder what he's doing right now..'_

The phone in her room rang, nearly making her jump out of her seat. She shared a line with the her family, so she assumed it was someone for her mother.

"Answer the phone, Kagome!" Her mother called, before she even had a chance to say anything. Setting down her pencil, she made her way to the cordless phone resting by her bed.

On the fourth ring, she lifted it, pressing the receiver to her ear.

"Hello, Higurashi residence."

There was a few moments of silence, and Kagome was about to speak again, if not for the hurried breaths on the other end.

"H-Hello?"

She raised a brow, the voice sounding nervous..and quite familiar..

"Hello?"

"Kagome?"

Her brows furrowed, realizing who the voice belonged to.

"InuYasha?"

She heard him exhale in relief.

"Ya, it's me. Listen..um..what was homework for Biochem?"

His words came out kind of rushed, but she grabbed her notebook, and told him nonetheless. Hearing his voice made her heart quicken slightly. This was the first time they had ever talked on the phone before.

He was callling her just for homework?

Well that sucked..

"Problems 15-41 odd."

"Okay..thanks.."

There was an awkward silence.

"Say, InuYasha.. do you want to talk for a while?"

Relief struck him like a ton of bricks. Lately, talking to Kagome had been pretty addictive..

He cleared his throat, before mumbling a nonchalant, "Sure."

She smiled.

*******

"What do you mean stupid!? I was young!" Kagome defended, her bottom lip puffing out in a childish pout. She heard him chuckle on the other end. "Whatever you say, Kagome." The moon was glistening high in the night sky by now, as the two had been talking for hours. They had got on the subject of Kagome's past and her stupid mistakes. She stuck her tongue out, well aware that he wouldn't be able to see the gesture. He lay on his bed, his gaze also on the night sky, watching a certain dark white cloud, wondering if she was looking at the exact same one he was from her room.

They had been laughing forever, and a bond of trust was slowly beginning to form between them. Being around her made him feel so needed, so abundant.

"Say, InuYasha.." she started, her voice becoming serious. His ears perked up immediately.

"Hmm?"

She was very hesitant to ask what was on her mind.

She realized how withdrawn InuYasha could be, how he kept everything bottled up inside of him.

"..About your family.."

His expression darkened, and an empty silence filled the line.

"InuYasha?"

"I have to go."

With that, an abrupt clicking sound echoed in her ears, before she was greeted with the dial tone.

She sighed, hanging up the phone, her eyes on the shadowed ceiling.

_'What are you hiding InuYasha? Why won't you let me in?'_


	13. In Control

**Please keep in mind I am NOT familiar with Japanese customs and most of their foods.**

**With that being said, American food will be involved in this chapter!**

**I haven't updated in over a month, and since I didn't want to keep you guys waiting much longer, this chapter is relatively short!**

**Hope you enjoy.**

**:)**

InuYasha inhaled deeply, his eyes momentarily shut. The moon's reflection illuminated parts of the sidewalk as his feet sounded against the crisp pavement.

Trees began to dance, brisk, red autumn leaves gliding on the trails of the wind. It was late, maybe past midnight by now.

His father's party was still going on, and if he had any luck, he'd be done by two a.m.

The hanyou sighed, his hair floating in the direction the wind blew. The folder he grasped in his right hand struggled to get free, but he held on tightly. It had been about three hours since he had inadvertantly hung up on Kagome. He sighed in frustration.

_Why does she continue to question my family? She always finds the need to pry where her nose doesn't belong._

He felt his jaw clinch with mild rage, and inhaled once again, managing to slightly calm his troubled nerves.

_My father tore my picture of her..He's the last thing I'll ever mention to Kagome._

His stomach gurgled a noise, pulling him from his previous thoughts. He'd been in such a hurry to exit the house before his father got him, he had forgotten to grab a snack.

"Shit."

*******

"And what will you have to drink?"

The middle aged woman asked, a white pad and jet blue pen in hand. Her apron was also white with minor grease stains on it, along with the customary bonnet that completed the outfit. Her name plate was slightly crooked and read _Ayko_. As the words fell from her tongue, a yawn escaped her lips, signifying her drowsiness, and eagerness to leave this place.

Twilight eyes roamed over the plastic menu, a bit of the lamination pealing off at the corners.

Finally decided, InuYasha folded the menu before handing it to the woman.

"Hot chocolate."

He watched the women scribble down the drink.

"Marsh mellows?" She asked, her eyes peeping at him through the rims of her glasses.

He nodded, fiddling with the folder he now had lying on the table.

"And as for your meal?"

"Philly Cheese steak omelet with a side of bacon."

"Coming right up," she said, her voice flat, and she spun on her heel, her brunette hair dangling messily behind her in the loose bun she had it tied in.

The hanyou sighed, his ears momentarily flattening against his head.

After seconds of relaxation, he figured it was time to get to work. His attention now back on the crimson folder he had brought to the diner, he slid a blank, white sheet out of its pocket, along with a mechanical .5 pencil from his crimson hoody pocket. His vacant gaze shifted toward the tattered ceiling, and the faulty lighting that illuminated him and a few other midely awake people sipping coffee.

He was going to do it right this time.

Nothing would stop him from achieving his goal.

And with that strong conviction, his hand began to move rapidly across the once vacant sheet of paper. He outlined her face first, every curve, every angle of it. Next, he filled in her captivating eyes, shading the irises darkly at the top, and lightly toward the bottom, showing an ignited side of them.

They looked more smokey with the shading, which is exactly how he wanted them to look.

They served as tunnels, passages in the darkest of darks. they highlighted everything they aimed at, including his heart at times. The edges of her pupils were a darker cobalt , shimmering magnificently against the silver. Realizing he was spending_ way _too much on her eyes, he moved downward toward her nose, then her lips, curving them upward at the corners, shading darker toward the middle. He felt those butterflies once again, and a blush wormed its way to his cheeks.

"InuYasha?"

That voice tore his concentration immediately, his ears high on his head. His eyes darted upward in the direction of the voice, only to meet dark blue eyes.

"Miroku?"

Behind him stood Sango, a blush on her cheeks, embarrassed for being spotted with the lecher. She was looking in every direction but at the hanyou, almost making him smirk.

_Almost._

Before he spoke, Miroku's eyes averted to the picture that the hanyou was sketching. His brow raised in fascination and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

"Kagome?"

Realizing he had been caught, InuYasha quickly scrambled to cover the picture with his arms, his face feeling unusually warm once again.

"What? Where?" Sango asked, peeping from behind Miroku, towering over InuYasha.

"It's n-nothing, ok? I was just bored," he grumbled, quickly stuffing the drawing back into his folder. Sango raised a brow, and like an eagle diving in for her prey, she quickly grasped the folder and hid behind Miroku, stealthily sliding out the paper and gasped.

"Hey!" InuYasha fumed, before Miroku quickly shoved him back down and took the seat across from him in the booth.

"Relax, relax. We're just looking! Show me, Sango!"

Mouth still agape, Sango slide next to the monk, her eyes not leaving the portrait for a moment.

"I-InuYasha..I had no idea you were so talented. This is amazing."

Anger forgotten, he felt his cheeks getting redder before mumbling something unintelligible, and crossing his arms.

The woman dubbed Ayko finally returned with a cream colored mug filled with hot chocolate, mini marsh mellows floating abroad the surface, dipping into the liquid. She set the mug on the table and forced a smile.

"Your food will be out shortly."

InuYasha nodded, reaching for the mug and putting it to his lips.

"I'll have a warm cup of milk please," Miroku added, his eyes gazing over the menu.

InuYasha almost spat out his beverage.

"The hell you will! You two aren't staying!"

"And I'll have the hot cocoa," Sango spoke, ignoring InuYasha, a small smile on her face, while passing the menu to the waitress.

Ayko nodded, jotting down their orders.

"Anything else?"

"No!" InuYasha shouted, his eyes narrowing at the two.

Sango pouted and pointed a finger at him.

"Kagome seems to be so attached to you, so I have a right to know what makes you so darn likeable! So shut up and sip your hot chocolate!"

InuYasha quickly gulped his beverage, fear radiating off of him.

Miroku simply chuckled and completed his order, while a peaceful smile returned to her pretty face.

"Blueberry waffles for me. What about you, Sango dear?"

She rubbed her chin momentarily.

"Same please."

With that, Ayko took their menus after grunting, disappearing to the back of the restaurant once again.

"So, why draw Kagome? Why make her the subject?" Sango asked, her eyes still gazing at the artwork in her hand.

InuYasha exhaled slowly, running a hand through his chalky hair.

"She's just a good subject, I guess."

A faint blush colored the bridge of his nose, his eyes diverted to the table, which seemed to be the most interesting thing at the moment.

Miroku raised a brow and smirked mockingly.

"Either way, you have a true talent with this. Ever thought of making it a career?"

InuYasha finally looked up, Meeting the pervert's stare.

"I plan to."

The three talked and ate together for an hour more at the dinner, and InuYasha finally managed to finish the picture, holding it in the light, inspecting even the most miniscule of detail.

"Looks great, she'll love it," Miroku said softly, a gentle smile on his lips. Sango was nodding off on his shoulder, her breathing a bit louder than normal, while her lips parted slightly repeatedly.

The hanyou smirked in satisfaction.

"She'd better."

*******

Ms. Kaede rambled on about Psychology the following Monday morning, nearly putting the hanyou to sleep. He had arrived late, leaving him no time to surprise Kagome with the picture he had spent so much time on of her. His eyes followed her.

She was scribbling down everything the old hag said, chewing on her bottom lip whilst doing it.

He noticed how her tongue would glide across the very edge of it, and then her teeth would take over, bending it inwardly, making it slightly swollen..shiny..red..

He suddenly blinked hard, snapping himself out of that _terrible_ place his mind had wandered to.

_What the hell did that come from? Nothin' special bout' her lips._

Yet his gaze darted back to them, as if attempting prove himself wrong.

Feeling eyes on her, Kagome looked in his direction, their gazes locking.

A warm smile crept to her lips. He quickly returned it, beginning to feel light headed.

The bell rang and students sprang from the desks, scattering to the exit like a bunch of lab rats.

"I want to show you something," InuYasha said, watching as she stuck her materials into her backpack. Her head popped up from under her desk, brows raised.

"What is it?"

As the class emptied, InuYasha slowly slid the piece of art from his folder, holding it out to her.

Her eyes widened.

*******

He hadn't seen her in days. Ever since their little incident, it had been miniature glimpses he had caught of her as she stumble dinto her car, speeding away from his sight.

He exhaled, his head hitting the back of his chair.

The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon, its rays illuminating the town in a warm, orange film.

As if on cue, he saw her vehicle pull into the driveway next door, making his heart race slightly.

Moments later, the driver's door opened, revealing a disheveled Rin. Grunting, she slammed her door shut, not even looking in his direction.

Obviously she had had a bad day.

Another force over powered him, took control of his being.

That's the only way he could explain what he did next.

"Rin," he called, his voice as monotone as ever.

It sounded foreign to him, hearing her name come off of his lips.

Her head jerked upward in his direction, like a deer caught in headlights. She slowly made her way over to him, sporting a knee length, button up, dark fall sweater that tumbled with the breeze as she walked. She stopped at the porch, meeting his cold gaze with one of her own.

***

"Oh, InuYasha," Kagome whispered, tears swelling up in her eyes.

She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, making his entire face red.

"Its beautiful.. you didn't have to.."

His eyes softened, his arms wrapping around her as felt his resolve weaken.

"I-t-t's not a big d-deal really..you just drew me, so I figured I owed you something."

Pulling back, the sobbing girl challenged his gaze with hers', looking into the very depths of his eyes.

His mouth began to go unusually dry, and he could've sworn he lost his voice.

At the very moment, however, a student carrying a rather large backpack walked past them in a rush, unaware of the collision that was about to unfold.

His backpack collided with Kagome, sending her tumbling over the hanyou. InuYasha quickly tightened his arms around the girl on instinct, and landed hard against the tile floor, the girl on top of him.

The student gasped in horror, and quickly began to apologize, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Kagome slowly sat up, rubbing her now aching head.

"InuYasha?"

He felt his demon side stirring to come forth, to take over in this situation.

Unaware to Kagome, she was _straddling_ him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, tearing strands of his hair out in frustration.

_No, I must stay in control. I have to get her away from me._

His demon side began to argue.

_Take her. She's on top of you._

His eyes popped open suddenly, flashing a menacing, bloody red.

She gasped.

_His eyes are red again.._

"I-InuYasha?"

And in that very moment, with brutal force, he shoved her off of him and against the wall, struggling to take control of the situation.

He dashed out of the room, struggling with the demonic battle within.


	14. Chemistry

**Late update, but I figure I'd toss you a short chapter just to suffice you guys' cravings for a bit!**

**Thanksgiving Break will be here in three days, so MAYBE I can update again soon!**

**I love you, my beautiful, beautiful reviewers!**

**:)**

The halls were an eerie quiet, causing his own breathing echo in the distance. The entire restroom was empty, cold. He could see every breath he took as it began to fog up his reflection.

_Damn air conditioner, what's the point of having it so friggin' cold in here?_

InuYasha reached forward, twisting the nozzle that had a red symbol on it, and hot water sprang forth, the steam calming his nerves slightly. He coated his hands in the burning water, shutting his eyes harshly, yet exhaling rather slowly in relief.

The water was a remedy to the aching silence. He could feel his demonic side going back into submission, and soon after, he shut it off, his hands now calloused from the scorching water. His eyes slowly popped open and he smiled sadly.

_Whatever it is that she's doing to me, it has to end here. I can't afford to lose control._

With that, he grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and slid it across his aching hands, wincing in the process.

_Why is my demon side so fascinated with her? This has never happened before._

Still pondering over his current predicament, he almost failed to notice the worried girl standing in front of the entrance to the boy's restroom, massaging her aching shoulder.

His eyes widened.

"K-Kagome?"

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly, forgetting her pain and examining his hands, her lips parting slightly in surprise at their rough texture.

His eyes landed on the spot on her shoulder where her hand had been clutching moments before.

He felt a sudden jolt in his heart, in turn making a lump form in the very base of his throat.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked in a small voice, ignoring her question. She followed his eyes to the black-blue bruise forming on her shoulder, and quickly pulled her shirt over it.

"I-it's fine, just a scratch. It doesn't hurt much, really."

His eyes softened at her white lie, knowing that she was in more pain than she let on.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she smiled at that very moment, feeling him warm up to her presence.

_Why do I like the thought of tearing down the barrier surrounding his heart?_

That thought alone gave her butterflies, and caused a warm feeling arise in her cheeks.

_He's slowly changing right in front of my eyes..I like it._

With that, she gently grabbed his sore hand and began to lead him down the hall, the soft smile never leaving her lips.

"Let's go to the nurse to get your hands looked at."

InuYasha could have sworn he felt her fingers cup around his and instantly felt the bridge of his nose redden.

Inhaling, he squeezed her hand back, causing her smile to brighten.

*******

**JULIET**

Good even to my ghostly confessor.

**FRIAR LAURENCE**

Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both.

**JULIET**

As much to him, else is his thanks too much.

**ROMEO**

Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy

Be heap'd like mine and that thy skill be more

To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath

This neighbour air, and let rich music's tongue

Unfold the imagined happiness that both

Receive in either by this dear encounter.

InuYasha watched the people on stage with mild interest. The dramatic lighting added to the emotions of the characters, bouncing off of them at numerous angles. He watched the way Kagome's eyes lit up while playing the love-sick girl, and how her lips quirked at every syllable she spoke. Realizing he was becoming mesmerized from the sight of her, he quickly shook his head, a blush staining his cheeks. Lately, he found his thoughts wandering in a_ different _direction with Kagome. A direction he didn't_ dare _go down. Now more than ever, she was practically spewing out questions for him. He began to think about the interrogation she had had for him only yesterday...

_"This was done beautifully, InuYasha. I feel so honored," Kagome said in awe, a mild chuckle hiding behind her words. Her eyes were roaming over the paper thoroughly, scanning and processing every detail of the work. InuYasha shrugged, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. They were in the middle of another study session in her home. It was getting close to dark, as the sun began to meet the horizon. Kagome cocked her head, examining the piece of art from a different angle, her bare legs propped up on her study desk. The hanyou sat against her bed, noting how nice her toes looked with metallic polish coating them. Feeling embarrassed for having even noticed her toes, he looked away abashedly. _

_"Stop lookin' at the thing, will ya? It ain't that great," he grumbled, arms crossed, struggling within to sound grumpy. Deep down, he absolutely adored the attention she was giving his artwork. No one had shown nearly as much appreciation in it before, and he couldn't help but like her spoiling him with compliments. It made him feel..warm. Really warm. _

_Her eyes finally averted from the illustration, only to narrow at him._

_"Hey, Buster, this is a rare delicacy. I'm usually the artist, not the.." She tapped her chin for a moment, attempting to locate the correct word in the deepest corners of her mind, but came up empty._

_"Hey, what's the word for the person being drawn? Is there even a word for that?" she questioned, more to herself than to him. _

_He rolled his eyes and feigned annoyance, but couldn't help the smirk that crept to his lips in excitement. She could have an entire conversation with herself if he let her, which would be both amusing, and very, very long. _

_"Maybe they never took the time to create a word for it. Subject could work, but it's so broad, and could be used for just about anything. They should have taken the time to create a word just for art subjects! It's actually kind of offensive, now that I really think about it! Is art not important enough to have a separate title for the subject of the artist? as a matter of fact--" _

_He just continued to watch her have an argument with herself, her words going in one ear and out the other. His eyes didn't fail to miss how her head bobbed from side to side with each sentence she spoke. Nor did he fail to miss how she counted on her fingers, and how those thinly arched brows of her creased in her forehead, and how those usual sapphire eyes of hers' looked more of a dark shadowed ocean now, an incredibly, magnetic grey. He could practically see the colors bouncing off of each other in her eyes, as he noticed how they changed depending on her mood._

_"Don't you agree, InuYasha?"_

_Hearing his name snapped him back to reality._

_"Huh?"_

_"Hey! You weren't listening, were you?! You're an artist too, y'know! You should be just as offended as I am!," she snapped, pointing a accusing finger at him._

_He raised a brow mockingly._

_"You were blabbering on and on about art subjects. I heard ya, woman."_

_She stuck her tongue out at him, before her eyes landed on the beautiful view outside of her window. _

_Following her gaze, InuYasha also was stunned by the warm sunset. An orange film began to sneak its way into her window, landing directly on Kagome. The hanyou watched her silently, as the glaze of the fireball coated her, making her eyes shimmer like never before. It also provided a better view of her raven locks, proving that strands of blue hid in the very depths of them. _

_"InuYasha?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_Her gaze looked far away as she continued to watch the ball of fire slowly disappear._

_A second later, her eyes locked on to him so sternly, as if they appeared to be looking through him._

_He gulped, feeling naked under her intense gaze. Her index and middle fingers held a wooden pencil against them, gently tapping it against the desk in a steady beat._

_"Why is it, that at random moments..you.."_

_He mentally flinched._

_He knew it was coming._

_Her being the nosy girl that she was, he knew she would ask eventually._

_"Why do your eyes..turn red?"_

_He exhaled slowly._

_How could he explain this?_

_He could lie._

_Ah, that would be so simple._

_**She'd never lie to you**__._

_His mind said those five words so smoothly, so hauntingly._

_He huffed, knowing that lying was out of the question._

_"It's..a lot to explain," he grumbled instead, quickly looking at the wall behind her. _

_"I've got time."_

_He grunted, running a hand through his locks._

_"Kagome--"_

_"I hardly know a thing about you, InuYasha. And yet, you know so much about me. Isn't that a little unfair?" she pleaded, playing with her fingers nervously._

_She knew she was treading on unstable territory, but she couldn't stop herself._

_"I'm not like you, though, Kagome. I have nothing to say."_

_She sighed, twirling a single strand of her around her index finger, her elbow resting on the arm rest of the chair._

_"..Please?"_

_The single word made him sigh in defeat._

_"Hell, I know I'll regret this later, but my demon side can be a little..unstable."_

_"Unstable?"_

_"Let's just say it has a mind of its own."_

_"How often?"_

_He raised a brow in confusion._

_"How often what?"_

_"How often does your demon side..pop up?"_

_This was the hard part. He couldn't tell her why it popped up. That would just be flat out embarrassing._

_"Dunno. Just here and there, I guess," he said with a nonchalant facade, shrugging slightly._

_She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before turning away._

"InuYasha?"

Kagome's voice rang through his ears, making the hanyou snap back to reality.

Students were grabbing their belongings and heading out for the day.

"You didn't hear the bell?" she asked, shoving her backpack over a shoulder.

He "feh'd" before standing at doing the same.

*******

"You look unkempt, " Sesshomaru said flatly, his eyes roaming over Rin's disheveled appearance. Her eyes squinted menacingly at him for a moment, making him smirk, and plopped down on the stair beside his chair.

"Bad day," she grumbled, attempting to fix her sloppy hair.

"Hm."

"Don't you want to know what happened?"

He pondered a moment, knowing the curiosity was beginning to get the better of him.

He wouldn't show that, though.

She was human!

Ugh.

"Not in the slightest," he said, folding his newspaper in front of him, his eyes roaming over the not so interesting articles.

"Well, I'm going to tell you anyway!" She exclaimed, leaning back on her elbows, her gaze out toward the now dark sky.

About ten minutes into the conversation, she finished her story about her irritating co-workers.

Surprisingly, she had kept Sesshomaru's attention the entire time.

"Just get a new job," he said flatly, his eyes still on the papers in his head.

She sighed, finally looking at him.

"I like writing articles, it's just the people that come with it."

Their eyes locked for a moment, a chemistry so thick forming between them, it could have been considered an entity.


	15. Sweet Dreams

**Christmas break is here! **

**Woohooooo!**

**Thank you so much reviewers, I love you guys to death, honestly!**

**You're the salt to my pepper, the peanut butter to my jelly!**

**:)**

**I do have to say something about this chapter, though.**

**Some of you may like it, others will not.**

**I'm sure most of you have noticed this story is rated "M" and may have been wondering why up to this point.**

**Well, this chapter will explain why that is so.**

**There is no lemon, but there is definitely lime, citrus, or whatever other words you can think of that refer to sexual content.**

**So for those who would rather do without the sexual content, or think that it is too "strong", let me know, and I may soften it up a bit.**

**If I get no complaints, however, then we'll just have to play it by ear.**

**Anywho, please enjoy this chapter, and like always REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**-----------------**

"Wow, and then what happened?" Kagome asked, nibbling on the sushi roll that was contained within her chopsticks.

"He gave me detention! Can you believe that?" Sango exclaimed, fumes practically flying from her ears. Her fist collided with the cafeteria table, making their trays bounce against the force.

"Sango, dear, maybe he was just having a bad day?" Miroku offered, leaning toward her, a sweat drop dripping from his forehead.

She growled and pointed a finger at him in warning.

"Don't you dare touch me, Miroku! I am so_ not _in the mood!"

Miroke shrinked backward, waving his hands frantically in his defense.

InuYasha just observed, ramen hanging from his mouth, gulping it down like popcorn.

"Mr. Miyazaki is known for tossing detention to students for no real reason," Kagome assured, rubbing her chin in thought.

"And a rumor _is _going around that his wife left him last week," Miroku chimmed in, also rubbing his chin.

Sango sighed in agitation.

"Oh _boo friggin whoo_, that gives him _no_ right to be reckless! He gave me one for not knowing the right answer to a _math equation! _I don't blame his wife for leaving him! Imagine how he was at home, if he's so damn infamous here!"

"Don't you think that's a little_..harsh_, Sango?" Miroku asked softly, his cobalt eyes widened slightly in the spite dripping from her words.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"I guess..but I'm just so mad."

Kagome smiled reassuringly, while digging into her backpack, scrunging around for something.

"Whatcha' lookin' for?" InuYasha asked, leaning over her shoulder in curiosity.

Moments later, she grabbed a paperback novel out of it, her face holding great satisfaction.

"This!" she exclaimed, and slid it across the table to Sango. Sango eyed it in confusion for a second, and then her eyes lit up in excitement.

"_Dusk!? _Thanks so much, Kagome-chan! You're already finished with it?"

Kagome nodded, a knowing grin on her face.

"I think that will make detention a little more interesting for you."

_"Dusk?"_

Miroku and InuYasha asked in unison.

"It's a romantic tale of a werewolf and human girl falling in love," Sango explained, her eyes skimming over the cover in anticipation.

"I can see _Kagome_ reading that stuff, but you, Sango?" Miroku questioned, raising a brow in disbelief.

Sango blushed slightly and looked the other way.

"I-I-..uh --"

"And what is_ that _suppose to mean, Miroku?" Kagome exclaimed, her brows furrowed.

"Uh--"

"I can understand what he means," InuYasha said nonchalantly, shrugging it off.

"You're a _girly_ girl with your head always in the clouds."

Miroku and Sango both cringed at the hanyou's choice of words.

Kagome's cheeks reddened at the accusation, as she pointed a finger at his chest.

"Are you saying that there is something _wrong _with that,_ InuYasha?" _

He gulped nervously, but covered it quickly with a smirk.

"I'm just sayin,' you look like you think of unicorns frolicking in the distance with rainbow colored butterflies flyin' around em'!"

At that, she surprisingly laughed, while playfully punching him in the arm.

"You jerk! I do not!"

He also chuckled, his smirk growing wider.

"Do too!"

He pointed a finger in her shoulder, shoving her gently.

"Do not!"

She shoved him again.

"Do too!"

This process repeated much longer than intended, as Sango and Miroku simply watched them in curiosity.

"Y'know, until now, I never realized how much you guys_ flirt_," Sango commented, an innocence present in her voice.

At that, the bickering couple pulled away from each other, faces red.

"What!?"

Miroku chuckled at that, casually wrapping an arm around Sango's shoulder.

"Ah, my Sango, always so observant. She indeed, does have a point."

The bell rang, dismissing the lunch period, signaling for the students to head back to class.

"Anyway, thanks for the book, Kagome! See ya later!" Sango called, waving the two off as she and Miroku headed toward the exit.

Still blushing, Kagome simply waved, and hurriedly grabbed her belongings.

_Geez, Sango. We don't flirt. And even if we did..._

She casually snuck a glance at the hanyou, his gaze piercing right through her, making her cheeks even redder.

His eyes always seemed to be entities of their own, with such a raw shade of amber coating them.

They held so much intensity, enough to melt even the bitterest of frost.

The outer edges them were darker, more complex than the center, while various lights from the building reflected off of them in such a way, making them appear to be almost _magnetic_.

Realizing she was noticing entirely too much about his eyes, she tore her eyes away hastily.

_And even if we did flirt..I'm sure it's one-sided..InuYasha wouldn't possibly flirt with me intentionally.._

Sighing dejectedly, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and began to follow behind her friends.

InuYasha, on instinct, grabbed her arm, halting her in her place.

She looked back at him in confusion.

"What is it, InuYasha?"

Still blushing and avoiding her gaze, her replied, "I'll w-walk you..to erm..class."

With that, he grabbed her hand and began to lead her out of the cafeteria.

_What the hell impelled me to do that?,_ he yelled inwardly, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Geez, InuYasha! Slow down!" Kagome nagged, almost loosing her footing.

"Oi! Quit ya bellyachin' and hurry it up, will ya?"

Frowning, she childishly stuck her tongue out at him, making him smirk.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but smile.

*******

"You're change in attitude is quite obvious. You've been walking around with your head held high like you've accomplished something important. It's quite agitating, you living in this fictitious world that you have created for yourself. You are half of _nothing_, a mutt, an abomination to all," InuTaisho stated, his voice dripping with a frost InuYasha had grown so accustomed to.

Sesshomaru had definitely taken after his father, for InuTaisho held the same monotone voice and indifferent facade.

InuYasha had, of course, taken after his mother. He was born a soft, gentle and warm half demon. His care for others always came first, and his will to love those who caused harm to him was one of the many reasons his mother loved him so.

That all changed when Izayoi died.

He had grown bitter, cold.

The will to love that he once had was nothing more than a shadow buried in the very darkest, coldest corner of his heart.

Any light of hope that he once had of being a loving, warm hanyou was stomped out by his father and brother, slowly breaking him, hindering any growth he may have developed.

Taking a different approach, InuYasha shifted his gaze up to his father's, a hollow emotion making them glisten in anxiety.

Those amazing eyes of his, once a champagne gold, were now listless, tame.

He had been seated at the kitchen table, sipping tap water while reviewing for his midterms, when his father came home unexpectantly early, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, as if he had been struck by lightning.

InuTaisho had walked in, his domineering personality showing in his hollow, golden orbs. He exuded negligence, his entire being parallel to cruelty itself. His silver hair, diffusive and daunting, held usually held captive in a low styled braid, stopping past the small of his back. Two demonic, mahogany scars coated each side of his jaw, causing his visage to appear fierce in nature.

InuYasha and his father simply matched gazes momentarily, before the conviction in InuTaisho's eyes overpowered his own, making him look down in defeat, making the full demon smirk victoriously.

"You seem to have forgotten your place. Your head should always be _bowed _to those of more importance than you, which in this case, would be _all _demons. Do not make me repeat myself. I would surely_ hate _to have to blow that small flicker of hope burning in your soul out."

With that, InuTaisho exited the room, his braid fanning behind him.

Gritting his teeth in defiance, InuYasha nearly broke his pencil in half. His jaw moved from side to side, clicking and unclicking each time. His fists were clenched rather tightly, re-opening the scars from the last time his father pissed him off.

_**Let me out. You know I could kill him**_**, **his demonic side chanted.

The hanyou shook his head, his hair tumbling widly around him.

_I can't. Even if we could kill him, he's not worth it._

_**He called our woman a bitch,**_ it retorted, making him squint his eyes in anger.

_And I wanted to kill him for it. But Kagome's not ours._

_**But you want her to be. **_

Realizing he was fighting a pointless battle, he slipped on his blazing red hoody, deciding to go to his safe haven, his temporary shelter of peace.

*******

"Kagome, grab the door for me, honey!" Ms. Higurashi called from the stove, whilst adding rice and duck into the pot of mysteries she had cooking, giving the house a delectable aroma. Kagome, who had recently been studying for her midterms, came bouncing down the stairs, the smell of duck breast and curry passion fruit sauce assaulted her nose, making her eyes revert to a dreamy state.

"Ah, Mom, that smells incredible."

Ms. Higurashi blushed and simply waved her away.

"Don't give me a big head, dear."

Chuckling, and glancing at the clock, Kagome continued toward the door.

_Who could be here at 9:00 on a Friday night?_

Opening the door, she recieved her answer.

There stood a shivering half demon, hands shoved in pockets.

"Oi, Kagome."

She raised a brow, but smiled and quickly ushered him in, just like he knew she would.

She let him know ahead of time that he was always welcomed. She, and Ms. Higurashi of course.

"InuYasha, what a surprise! Come in, join us for dinner," she greeted, her tummy doing backflips like it always did at his random visits.

_She never even questions why I come, and invites me in as if I belong here._

He slid off his shoes, and hoody, while following her into the kitchen.

"Thanks Kagome," he whispered so only she could hear, before her mother noticed him.

She simply nodded, smiling at his warm expression.

His eyes, which were usually hollow, were now blazing in the dim light of the house, making her shiver slightly.

"InuYasha, dear! What a pleasant surprise. You came just in time too, dinner's ready!"

Cheeks red, he nodded, muttering a "Thanks, Ms. Higurashi."

He was awfully hungry, just now realizing he hadn't eaten since lunch time.

*******

"Need some help?" InuYasha asked, rolling up his sleeves, standing alongside Kagome at the kitchen sink. Everyone now had full, bulging bellies, and had migrated to different parts of the house, leaving the two in the room alone.

She smiled at his offer and nodded.

"Sure."

Kagome washed the plates and cups, and then handed them to him, letting him rinse and dry.

"Oi, Kagome?"

Not looking up, she responded with a "Hmm?"

"Why don't you ever question why I pop up so often? Like tonight, you just invited me in, not even asking why I came."

His voice was serious, distant, making her stop her actions and give him her full attention.

He was looking into the dish water, avoiding her gaze entirely.

Kagome wasn't stupid, she was well aware to the fact that InuYasha didn't _like_ being home.

His family was _always_ an off topic subject, and had told her from the beginning that they could never go to his house for anything.

He seemed so skittish around her mother and brother, as if he wasn't used to the attention and kindness they gave him.

She was obviously more perceptive than she let on, but of course avoided bringing it up, due to the argument and awkward silences that followed.

_I will find out what's going on..soon._

"Everyone deserves a break, don't they?" she replied softly, a blue orbs glistening with a sense of enlightenment, making him gasp.

"Kagome.."

Did she know?

"Whatever is going on with you, InuYasha, I'm here. I swear I'm not going anywhere.."

The spoon that he had previously been drying fell to the counter with a_ thud _ as she swung her arms around his back, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'm here, InuYasha," she repeated, whispering.

His eyes were as wide as the plates he had been drying.

On instinct, he held her by her waist, pulling her closer, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

He said nothing, but the gesture was all she needed to know that he honestly believed her.

*******

_**Claim her as yours**_, his demon blood chanted once again.

With that, his eyes popped open, instantly scrutinizing his surroundings. He was in Kagome's room, which at the moment, was covered in a blanket of darkness. The moon illuminated small parts of it through her closed blinds. Squinting, and realizing he was on the floor by her bed, he looked up to see that it was vacant.

He must have fallen asleep after helping her do the dishes.

But then, where was she?

"Kagome?" he called softly, attempting not to wake the entire house as he tip toed toward her door. The moment that his hand touched the knob, however, Kagome was coming in, her eyes serving as mini blue flashlights.

"InuYasha?"

What she wore made him gulp nervously, while pulling on his collar self-consciously.

She had on an over-sized blue shirt, the sleeves stopping past her hands. It stopped a little above her knees, and one part of it hung loosely off of her shoulder, revealing the bright pink bra strap to him.

"Uhm, I-I think I-I'm g-gonna go now," he sputtered, attempting to manuever around her.

"Wait," she called, making him halt in his tracks.

He had walked past her, his back now facing her.

Bad idea.

Seconds later, he felt her arms around his torso, and her whispering," It's past midnight. Stay with me," in his ear, and nuzzling her nose against his neck.

_That_, and the scent of vanilla and cinnamon, definitely clouded his judgement at that particular moment.

This was so unlike Kagome! She had never even hinted at liking him _this_ way, making him all the more nervous.

"K-Kagome.."

He then felt her fingers tracing the back of his neck, making the little blades of hair present on it stand up straight.

"Stay," she whispered again, this time going as far to even lick his ear, making him jolt like he had been shot.

"Kagome.." this time, her name came out as a groan, and his knees began to feel incredibly weak.

He knew he had to get out of here..

As if on cue, she grabbed his hand, leading him to the desk chair that she did her homework in.

Before he realized it, Kagome landed directly in the middle of his lap, wrapping a lock of hair around her finger flirtaciously.

His entire face had reddened at this action, and he even struggled to gently shove her away.

"K-Kagome, what are you d-doing?"

He sounded pathetic, and he knew it.

Where had his pride went?

_Out the door when she sat in your lap, _his mind retorted smartly.

He felt weak, powerless to this_ sex kitten _Kagome had suddenly become.

While cursing inwardly for being so weak, Kagome took the opportunity to plant gentle, butterfly kisses along his jaw, making him completely still.

_"InuYasha.."_ she moaned his name in such a way, he nearly ached to hear her say it again.

Her assault of kisses continued down to his neck, making his eyes roll in the back of his head.

"K-Kagome..we have to stop," he moaned, his hands having a mind of their own and resting on their sides.

"Make me," she replied seductively, and planted a kiss directly on his lips, making his eyes a pair of golden saucers once again.

She was kissing him!

On the lips.

Man, oh man, oh man..

Her tongue sought permission to enter his mouth, and like any boy with a half naked girl in their lap, he quickly obliged.

God, she tasted so good.

She must've just had some form of chocolate, because it was quite prominent in her mouth and on her lips.

Having a temporary lapse in sanity, he eagerly kissed her back, seeking to permanently indulge in the taste of her on his tongue.

Before, he _hated_ chocolate.

Now, he'd make sure it was the first thing he ate after tonight.

Not being able to hold back, a moan escaped his lips, making the girl in question moan back. Her hands dove into his hair, gripping it violently, and gently simultaneously. InuYasha did the same, seeking to bring her closer, melt their entire beings into one, to inprint Kagome into his brain forever.

The kiss grew more torrid, passionate in their desires. InuYasha had thrown his doubts out of the window the moment her lips met his, encouraging every deed, every sexual antic.

What caught him by surprise, woke him from his sexual haze, was when he felt her scorching center rub against his, the friction making him groan uncontrollably.

Not breaking their ardent lip-lock, Kagome continued to grind against InuYasha, making him shiver in pleasure. He had never been touched like _this_ before, and God, he began to lose all self control.

Reluctantly, he broke away, panting.

"K-Kagome, we have to stop," he repeated, this time, his words more dominate.

He was actually proud of himself, having the ability to break away from a girl as beautiful and taunting as Kagome. He was just about to give himself a pat on the back, when she threw her head back, and began to grind more pressure, making his hips unconsciously act on their own accord, and meet hers in the process.

"_Fuck_, Kagome," he groaned, his hands resting back on her hips, and guiding her alone the steel that was present in his jeans.

"Please, Stop," he begged, his mind saying one thing while his body did another, still meeting her hips with every thrust, making them moan together. She leaned forward, rubbing her breasts against his chest, making him inhale roughly.

"Make me," she whispered again, teasing his swollen appendages with her tongue.

He groaned before gritting his teeth, gathering every piece of will that he had left.

Unfortunately, when Kagome's moans increased, that will he had broke into many pieces.

He felt his demon side springing forth, encouraging every devious act between the two.

Feeling himself lose control, all InuYasha could do was close his eyes, and brace himself for his other half to take charge.

And just like that, every doubt that had been in his mind had fled, making InuYasha guide her hips faster along his now _very_ erect appendage. Feeling this, Kagome moaned even louder. Removing one hand from her hip, InuYasha wrapped a hand around her neck and brought her face to his, silencing her with a kiss. She continued to grind, making them both groan in each other's mouths. His breathing was becoming ragged, and he closed his eyes, attempting to regain his composure once again.

When he opened his eyes, however, he took notice to how erect Kagome's nipples looked through her shirt, making him grit his teeth for even noticing.

This feeling of immense pleasure was going to break him.

"InuYasha," she moaned, moving faster.

This wasn't right.

He had to stop her somehow.

But it felt so _good_..

No.

He shook his head.

"InuYasha," she whispered again, softening his resolve.

"InuYasha?"

"InuYasha!"

With that, InuYasha's eyes popped open, revealing a worried Kagome standing a few inches from his face, her brows furrowed.

Blushing, InuYasha quickly sat up, looking around. The digital clock on top of the televison read 12:36.

Apparently, he had fallen alseep on the downstairs couch.

"Are you alright? You were making weird noises in your sleep," she said, now sitting directly across from him, in a pink pajama outfit, which to his relief and disappointment, didn't reveal anything he hadn't already seen.

"Sorry, just..a weird dream," he murmured, scratching his head in confusion.

_So it was a dream..it felt so real.._

Glancing at Kagome, he saw that she had a miniature cup of chocolate icecream in hand, licking the spoon in a very seductive way, accidentally of course.

He immediately looked away, his face red, thoughts of the dream playing back in his head.

"Want some?" she asked, a smile on her face, and an extra spoon in hand.

Hesitantly, he nodded, dipping his spoon into the container.

So, this was the closest he'd come to kissing her, eh?

Going in for another bite, the two smiled at each other, the silence between them rather comfortable.

_This'll be my last time sleeping so close to her. God, that dream.._


	16. Winter Fantasy Part1

_This chapter is about half of my last one, only because I had this idea in my head, and I've decided to split it up into two chapters!_

_So don't worry, the next chapter will be well worth it._

_For those who are reviewing, thank you sooo much, I take the time to read each and every review that I get, none of them go unnoticed._

_I appreciate the feedback that I have been getting, and hopefully, you all will also like this chapter._

**_

* * *

_**

**_Winter Fantasy Part 1_**

**_

* * *

  
_**

"If you don't want to take over your father's company, I think you should just tell him that," Rin stated matter-of-factly, her arms folded behind her head, while the wind manipulated her charcoal tresses around her visage. Sesshomaru glanced at her from the corner of his eye momentarily.

"I cannot simply do as I please. My father has showed me nothing but adoration and respect, and for me to suddenly turn my back on his desires are foolish and ravenous," Sesshomaru responded tartly, questioning why he had told her any of this in the first place.

Somehow, the two had ended up taking a stroll around the block as the sun slowly lowered itself in the sky, an film or orange and gold coating them.

"If your father is as you describe him to be, what makes you think he wouldn't understand that you need to live your own life?" she asked softly, those round liquid chocolate eyes piercing through the frost around his chilled heart.

Their eyes locked momentarily, as the norm lately, before he averted his gaze to the tree ahead, feigning an interest in it.

"My father is not always compassionate."

"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly, knowing that if she pryed too much, he'd close off instantly, almost like a knee jerk reaction.

"You are nothing but a human, thus you lack the knowledge on such a subject. Explaining it to you would be absurd."

Her brows formed a crease in her forhead, and she simply huffed and looked away.

She had become used to those random insults he'd toss her direction, just to remind her that she was of lower stature than he.

"Y'know, just because I'm human, it doesn't make me ignorant. You insult me, as if I'm not of equal importance as yourself. As least I don't come off as some robot who exudes callousness."

At that, the demon stopped walking and faced her, those blazing amber eyes of his narrowed.

"You're human. Your opinion is biased."

She narrowed her eyes right back at him. before moving closer to poke a finger in his chest,

the scent of fresh windflowers spiraling at him as she did so.

"You're a demon, so you thinking that humans are inferior to your kind is also biased. For us to even continue this conversation, we'd need someone who wasn't either."

At that remark, Sesshomaru's brow shot up.

"You mean a hanyou, yes?"

Looking confused for a second, she rubbed her chin in thought.

"I suppose so."

"Demons are different from humans. We are more strict, ruthless. We are not _weak_, and do not give in easily to temptation. Humans are _weak_, feeble minded, and let love rule over logic."

"Only someone who has never experienced love could have such a perception of it," she responded coldy, the wind making her shiver slightly.

"Love is pointless. It clouds proper judgement."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself and continued walking.

"Love can cloud your judgement, sure. Love can also be so strong that it feels tangible, even. It provides you with a warm, cozy feeling. It can make you feel protected, just the thought of it can provde you with such an amazing high, a buoyancy only attainable if you experience it."

At that, she smiled, directing her gaze to him again, surprised to see a look of interest on his face instead of a scowl.

"Love could transform even the coldest, bitterest frost into a warm and cozy fire. It can amazing, it can be dangerous and damaging. In my opinion, it's worth the risk."

He watched her intently, watched how she shut her eyes when the wind blew in their direction, how that gentle smile played on her lips.

And like that, the spell was broken, as he huffed and turned the opposite direction.

"I have work to do."

And like that, he began back toward his house, knowing his father would be home soon.

He couldn't afford to be seen with her.

"You know I'm right, Sesshomaru," she spoke softly, watching as he halted, his back facing her.

"If it weren't the case...if it weren't the case, what other reason would you be out with me right now?"

He was silent, wondering how much truth lay in her words.

"You are tolerable, Rin."

And like that, he was gone.

Her cheeks turned red slightly.

"He..he said my name."

**- - -**

"There you are! Where have you been, Sesshomaru?" questioned InuTaisho, his eyes rising from his laptop, as he sat at the kitchen table, upon seeing his favorite son enter the house.

Sliding off his shoes, he sunk back into his icy disposition.

"It was nothing of any importance."

Deciding not to push the matter further, InuTaisho reversed the laptop, so the screen was now facing Sesshomaru, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Come look. Our Sales are up by almost 50% this month. If we can conduct a few minor changes, there's going to be nothing stopping us. I figure since you'll be taking over, you should be the first person to know. I have full faith in your loyalty to the company, and I trust no one else to take my place as I do you."

For some reason, those words were like a knife in his gut, making him swallow the gigantic lump in his throat.

He was never exceptionally happy about taking over his father's company, but _recently_, it has seemed more like a burden than anything else.

Lost for words, Sesshomaru simply nodded, his exterior strong and vigilant, while his interior was anything but.

**- - -**

"InuYasha?"

The half demon gazed over at Kagome, before muttering "hmm?"

They had just gotten out of school, and were on their way to hers to continue studying for the midterm exams that were only a few days ahead.

The trees, now bare from the chill of winter, shook violently as gusts of icy wind spiraled in various directions. The grass was covered in layers of frost, so one could only guess that snow would make its appearance soon.

"Are you...are you doing anything for Christmas this year?"

Those words made his eyes widen in shock and astonishment.

Christmas was a holiday that he had enjoyed when his mother was still alive, but since then, his father and Sesshomaru usually celebrated together, and he was usually excluded.

"I don't think so..Why Kagome?" he questioned slowly, choosing his words carefully.

Kagome quickly looked away, blushing in the process, while hugging herself tighter as the wind tuggled with her lengthy, black winter sweater.

"I was wondering if you'd like to celebrate it with me-us! Us, my family!" she corrected quickly, mentally kicking herself.

_Smooth move, girl. Really smooth._

InuYasha was silent for a moment, his insides going haywire at the simple invitation.

_She's inviting me?_

That thought alone made the bridge of his nose turn red, and he had to contain the butterflies fluttering around in his gut, attempting to burst free in excitement.

"Kagome..I'd really like that," he said softly, his attention currently on the sidewalk in front of him.

She couldnt' contain the smile that immediately covered her cherry lips.

"Great!"

_Now I just have to figure out what gift to get him._

_Should I get her a gift? What do girls like? Ah, dammit._

"I'd like for you to spend New Year's with us too," she added, moving closer to him, careful to follow his pace. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he pretended not to take notice to her proximity, and feigned nonchalance.

"Sure," he wheezed, his heart practically bulging out of his chest.

God, why was her presence having such an affect on him?

He gazed at her from the corner of his eye, watched how her obsidian locks were manipulated by the wind, how those royal eyes of hers always seemed to _glisten._

He felt his ears swivel rather suddenly, only to see Kagome's hand reach up and caress his left one gently, before quickly pulling away.

"Geez, no wonder they look whiter than usual! They're freezing!" she exclaimed, quickly taking off her ocean blue skull cap.

The place that she touched on his ear held a lingering sensation, making it instantly warm up.

Before he realized what was happening, she placed the skull cap over his ears, smiling all the while as she did so.

"There, nice and snug," she said before winking.

He had to admit, it did feel a _whole lot _better, now that the wind wasn't irritating his sensitive ears.

"Kagome--"

"Shush!" she commanded, already knowing the hanyou would object, and straightening her hat hair.

He chuckled.

"Fine, fine, you crazy woman. Your hands look cold from over here," he stated bluntly, before reaching down to grab one.

Like any girl with a huge crush, Kagome found herself blushing madly like the little school girl that she was.

He'd noticed long ago, that her skin had the texture of velvet, soothing him everytime he got the opportunity to touch her.

Her fingers were slim and long, while her nails were filed evenly, the same metallic polish on them that matched her toes.

"InuYasha? What are you doing?" she asked shyly, watching as he inspected her hand with interest.

"I'm fine, really! A little frost bit never hurt anyone!"

He raised a brow before smirking.

"Uh, yes it has, Einstein," he replied, while tugging the blazing hoody that rested againt his torso over his head.

"What are you--"

"Here," he cut her off, offering the jacket to her, while ironing out the wrinkles in his long sleeved black shirt with his hand.

"InuYasha! You'll freeze! Hurry and put it back on!" she hissed, looking around to see if anyone else was witnessing this moment.

"Nope, I'm half demon, remember? This cold weather isn't as intense for me as it is for you. Just take it, will ya?"

Inspecting it thoroughly, Kagome hesitantly reached out and grabbed the fabric, before InuYasha took the books from her hands, while she tugged it over her head.

_She sure looks nice in it_, he thought, inspecting how such a provocative color like red suited her very well, even if it was just an oversized hoody that draped over her hands, which he noticed, that he also liked.

She reached out to grab her books back, but he held them out of reach, and shook his head.

"Nu uh, woman. I'll carry em'."

She smiled, and nodded, thanking him silently.

"Mmmmm, you smell really nice, InuYasha," she said more to herself to him, taking big whiffs of his scent, while massaging her cheek against the fabric.

_That _made the blush from his cheeks reach his ears. He had never been told that before.

"Smells like a big breath of fresh air," she continued, oblivious to his abashed expression.

"You - you smell nice too," he wheezed, rubbing the back of his head roughly, nearly knocking the hat off of his head.

She simply giggled.

**- - -**

"Alright class, You have approximately ninety minutes for this exam," Ms. Kaede informed, timer in hand.

Kagome looked over at InuYasha, and winked at him, before mouthing, _"Good Luck."_

He took notice that she still wore his red hoody from yesterday, making him feel strangely warm, before mouthing "_You too, woman."_

And like that, they began the test, the entire classroom quiet. The previous night, the two had studied for multiple hours on it, and even took intermissions in between, eating gingerbread cookies and watching television.

_Even though he comes over just to study, we always wind up doing other things also. I guess that means we really are becoming good friends, _she thought with a small smile.

She had noticed that underneath all of the ruggedness that made InuYasha, he was also very sweet, warm, and even vulnerable.

He was a diamond in the rough, and she knew all he needed was a little...

She felt her cheeks redden.

_Love._


	17. Winter Fantasy Part2

**_Winter Fantasy Part 2_**

* * *

"Alright, InuYasha! We have to find the perfect gift for Mom, Souta, and Gramps!" Kagome announced, whilst massassing her chin with her index finger and thumb, conviction coating her features. InuYasha simply nodded, massaging his chin momentarily, a clawed finger tapping against the corner of his mouth. They were at the entrance of the bustling mall, people rushing around like wild life.

It was Christmas eve, and everyone was attempting to get hours of last minute shopping in.

"Hey, do you want to get anything for your father and brother?" she asked softly, hesitation evident in her eyes. He quickly averted his gaze, meeting hers in the process before slowly looking away.

"Don't think so."

She sighed, fumbling her fingers together in defeat.

_Can't say that I didn't try._

"Alrighty then! Let's split up!"

He quickly raised a brow in confusion, his lips already forming the question that lingered in his mind.

"Split up? Why?"

Kagome smiled, her rose petal lips glistening slightly from the green apple gloss he watched her apply on earlier. The memory of her puckered lips, whilst the gloss oozed from its container and glistened was inprinted permanently in his brain, stored away for later. She'd slowly, almost teasingly, slid her tongue over the area that contained an excess of gloss, and she'd lick it off, her tongue practically gesturing his to collide with hers' in a tango that only they could execute.

"Well, you can't be around while I pick your gift out, now can you?" she teased, tilting her head to the side, while her locks tumbled down her shoulder, reaching her navel. His eyes widened in surprise, awe, even.

She absolutle adored the way those rich, amber eyes of his lit up, while backing away sneakily.

"Meet ya back here in an hour, InuYasha!"

And like that, Kagome bounced off into the crowd, her scent colliding with that of the rustling crowd of dangerous shoppers.

He felt the corners of his mouth curve upward, forming his signature smirk.

**---**

It took him an entire hour to find it.

_A whole fuckin' hour. What if she doesn't even like the damn thing?_

His fingers continued to collide with the items' container in his pocket, his claws making abstract designs over the smooth material. He stood against the frame of the entrance, his nose going into overdrive, trying to sniff out Kagome amongst the hundreds of shoppers. His ears folded against his scalp as children shrieked at the toy stores, begging their parents to buy the items for them. Women screamed in excitement to get the finest clothing, jewelry, and shoes.

_So many damn noises..._

And finally, the tantalizing scent of Kagome reached his nostrils, making his eyes haze in the process. He pin pointed her location, bounting up the escalators, muttering many "excuse me's" to the people she oh so gently shoved aside. She somehow, miraculously managed to balance herself with an endless amount of bags on her arms. Seeing her in distress, he immediately rushed to her rescue, taking the load away from her.

"Geez, woman! Did ya buy the entire store?"

She huffed, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Those people are monsters."

He chuckled, balancing the gifts with ease.

o0o0o0o0o

"It smells great in here, Mom!" Kagome exclaimed, eying the pot on the stove with lust in her eyes.

InuYasha tumbled in behind her, sliding his shoes off, his eyes widening at the incredible smells floating to his nose. Ms. Higurashi giggled, turning the corner to take the bags from the hanyou, a flattered grin on her face.

"Oh, you're letting your hunger speak for you. I assume the shopping went well?"

Kagome nodded eagerly, digging into the cabinet for the hot chocolate.

"It was dangerous out there, Mom. Those people almost devoured us!"

Her mother laughed, before gesturing InuYasha over, holding out a spoon full of the soup she had boiling to him.

Tentatively, he went to her, eying the spoon as if it were a foreign object.

"It tends to be that way on Christmas Eve, honey. Blow, " she instructed, that famous smile never leaving her lips.

He did as told, before gulping down what tasted like chicken soup.

"That's...incredible," he responded, his voice laden with awe.

She giggled, turning her back to him to attend to the soup once again.

"You kids spoil me!"

"Sit!" Kagome demanded, pointing to the kitchen table, while she filled a pot up with water.

He did so, watching her with curiosity.

"So, where's Souta and Gramps?"

"Souta is over Suichi's, while Dad is upstairs napping. Are you staying over tonight, InuYasha?"

The hanyou gulped nervously.

Geez, Kagome hadn't even told her mom?

"Ya, I invited him. That okay?" Kagome answered nonchalantly, coming to his rescue.

"Oh, of course! I was about to insist that you stay, but I see my daughter has beat me to it!"

At that, the women chuckled, both of them standing side by side in front of the stove.

InuYasha gawked at them as if they were from another world.

_The Higurashi women are absolutely mad. They want me here? Pfft, crazy._

Despite thinking this, a small smile worked its way to his lips.

They two continued to chatter incessisantly, before Kagome passed a mug to him while winking.

"I make the best hot chocolate ever. Let it blow your taste buds away!"

He smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Someone's cocky."

They glared, until finally, the hanyou took a sip, the hotness of the beverage instantly relaxing him.

"See? Don't you feel more at ease?" she cooed, batting her lashes at him.

He glanced up at her briefly, before averting his eyes back to his mug.

"I always feel at ease when you're around, you silly woman."

At that, the girl's cheeks turned red, defnitely not expecting an answer like that.

Though the compliment sounded more like an insult, she way that he said it made her heart flutter like crazy.

Seeing this, Ms. Higurashi giggled softly.

"Why don't you two go relax in the den and watch a movie? I'll let you know when dinner is ready."

With that, she brushed them into the next room, leaving a blushing hanyou and embarrassed Kagome.

She got comfortable on the couch, folding her legs up and patted the cushion next to her with a smile.

He huffed and sat down next to her, sweating slightly at their proximity. He could practically feel his demon half pulsing at Kagome's presence, lured by her scent.

"Say, InuYasha?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you tell me more about... you demonic side?"

Well, _that_ was random.

He instantly stared at her, his eyes widening.

"Kagome--"

"I know you don't like to talk about it, but don't you trust me a little more now?" she asked softly, her gaze colliding with his.

He sighed in frustration.

"Well, I'm not like humans. I see, smell, and think differently than you do. Like right now--"

He leaned forward bravely, burrowing his nose in the crook of her neck.

"You smell like fresh vanilla and cinnamon. You always do.."

She blushed at his proximity, noticing how gentle his voice had become. He forced himself to move away, tempted to dart out his tonue and glide it across her warm skin.

"It's your natural scent. All demons can smell it."

Her lips parted in shock.

"All demons can smell me!?"

He smirked.

"Duh, woman! You've got nothing to worry about, you always smell nice, anyway."

She smiled, knowing that the hanyou hadn't realized that he had just complimented her.

"And unlike humans, we mate for life. Humans can pick as many partners as they'd like. Demons only get one."

He emphasized this by holding up one clawed finger.

"So once you pick a 'mate', they're yours for life?"

He nodded, suddenly looking more serious. His golden eyes were glowing, piercing through the very depths of her.

"So, what exactly defines a mate? Is it like marriage?" she asked softly, turning to face him, her elbow propped upon the back of the couch while her chin rested in her palm.

InuYasha quickly averted his eyes, the bridge of his nose turning light red.

"Pfft, that ain't important!"

"Oh, just tell me! I'm curious!" she argued.

"Well for starters, it's not like marriage. I won't go into the _details_ of mating--"

She smiled at his embarrassment of the topic.

"But once a demon has chosen a mate, they share an eternal bond. It cannot be broken like wedding vows."

She absentmindedly began tugging on loose strands of her hair, her gaze far away.

"So.. are you going to mate with a demon, also?"

He scoffed, crossing his arms, the look in his eyes seeming wiser beyond his years.

"Kagome, I'm not like you. I'm looked _down_ upon in the demon community. No demon would ever desire to mate with me. And as far as humans go.."

He stared down at his claws, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

"My mother was the only human who loved me, loved me with all of her being. Humans are disgusted by me, by the blood that's rushing through my veins."

His said this with such spite, such raw pain.

"InuYasha.."

He didn't deserve this.

"I didn't ask to be born this way. I didn't ask for any of it. If it were up to me, I'd rather just not have been--"

"Don't say that, InuYasha," Kagome whispered, bringing him into an embrace.

"I know that I can't take your pain away. I know that I'm only one person, and I'm very unimportant at that, but InuYasha, _I_ accept you. You may think something is wrong with me for doing so, but so what? You're kind, sweet, and a jerk all in one--"

He smirked, resting his chin atop of her head.

"But I _like_ that about you. Everyone else is foolish!"

He was more touched by her words than he allowed himself to let on.

"Did you ever think that maybe _you're_ the foolish one, Kagome?" he asked in a joking tone.

She smiled, her cheek still pressed against his chest.

"You idiot."

As she pulled away, their eyes locked.

"You'll find a mate, InuYasha. I know you will," she murmured, becoming mesmerized by the way his twilight eyes bore into hers. Her scent continued its assault on his senses, making him feel weary and warm at the same time. He felt his eyes becoming heavily lidded, felt his body relaxing completely with her being so close.

Unconsciously, his clawed hand rested on her cheek, his gaze strangely loving.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked softly, uncharacteristically.

This position felt so natural to her, his gentle caress and soothing voice was hypnotic.

Her tongue slid over her suddenly dry lips, seeing the hanyou's eyes follow the movement.

"I..I just know you will. You're a great guy, InuYasha.." she felt her voice growing softer.

"Anyone would be lucky to have you.."

"Anyone?" he repeated, his gave never leaving hers.

"Anyone.." she responded naturally, as her brain began to stop functioning. It was if she were speaking with her heart.

She bravely rested her hand on his cheek as well, nuzzling her nose against him, giving the love starved boy what he deserved.

Affection.

She heard him gasp quietly.

"Kagome..."

"_I'm_ lucky to have you, InuYasha. So lucky.."

"I'm the lucky one," he spoke softly, shoving a hand in her hair, letting the silk strands fan out around him. He groaned as her scent intensified, making him shut his eyes in the process.

She pulled back slowly, a hand going up to his ears, making him sigh in contentment.

She moved forward and pressed her lips to his forehead, just like his mother used to do.

"I'll never leave, I swear to you," she chanted, the sutra providing him with an abundance of an unfamilair emotion. His heart began to beat faster, his stomach was doing backflips, and he felt incredibly warm. What was this feeling?

He buried his nose in the crook of her neck once again, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Never?" he whispered, sounding like a hopeful child.

"Never," she murmured, still massaging his ears.

"I'll hold you to that, Kagome."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Thank you so much, Sis!" Souta exclaimed, hugging the dear life out of Kagome.

"Now now, Souta. Let her breathe," Gramps chuckled, admiring his gift from his granddaughter as well, which happened to be a replica of the infamous "Shikon no Tama."

He quickly pulled his arms away, holding the new _Street Fighters IV _game in hand. He scurried off to his room, eager to play it.

"These winter boots are absolutely fabulous, dear!" Ms. Higurashi exclaimed, examining the black heels that she now modeled on her feet.

"I'm glad you all enjoyed your gifts! I enjoyed mine as well," she responded, gesturing to the winter sweater and new outift she had received.

"Time to out this into the shrine!" Gramps exclaimed, rushing off to find a special glass case for it.

"I suppose I should put these up as well," her mom said, going upstairs.

"They sure seemed happy," InuYasha said with a smirk, standing comfortably against the wall, arms crossed.

It was Christmas morning, and everyone had gotten up early to exchange gifts. The two had fallen alseep on the couch together last night.

Recalling the though made the girl blush, before fishing for a bag hidden away in the corner.

"You didn't think I forgot you, did you?" she said with a cat-like smile.

"You didn't have to get me anything, woman," he huffed, attempting to play off the warmth he felt in his heart.

"I know that I didn't have to, but I wanted to! Now close your eyes!"

"Crazy, I tell ya," he mumbled before obeying.

"Hold out your hands."

He grunted, but did so.

He felt something heavy being placed, before she said "Open!"

Instantly, his eyes fell on something rectangular wrapped in red wrapping paper.

He looked up at her, confusion evident in his eyes, only to see her smiling like a child.

"Open, open open!"

He did as he was told, carefully unwrapping the paper, until the words _"Prismacolor Art Set" _caught his attention.

His jaw dropped.

He continued to unwrap, now scrutinizing the set.

"One hundred and fifty colored pencils, twenty-five painting colors, and ten graphite pencils all in one," he read aloud, his eyes almost bulging out of his head.

"Mhm!" she said, nodding vigorously.

He was at a lost for words.

_"Prismacolor"_ was one of the best names around for artist supplies.

It must have cost a fortune!

"Kagome.." he began.

"Turn it over," she commanded, motioning with her index finger.

He immediately did so, to find a note taped to the back of it.

He carefully clawed it off, only to see a bright smiley face on the cover, making him chuckle.

It was _so Kagome_.

"_I hope you love this gift! Once I saw it, I knew that it was made especially for you! I hope you have as much using it as I did buying it. _

_- Kagome :)_

_P.S- You're the best hanyou friend that I have, so you have to always be within reach, got it?"_

He chuckled, folding the note back up and sliding it in his pocket.

"I promise, you silly girl."

Her smile grew even wider, if possible.

"Thank you, Kagome. Thank you so much," he murmured, pulling her into another hug.

She noted how much he'd been hugging her lately, which made her heart flutter incessisantly.

_Gods, I can't help but feel this way when I'm around him._

"I have something for you too," he whispered softly, pulling back and digging into his pocket.

Her eyes followed his movement, before seeing a burgundy container in his clawed fingers.

He forcefully held it out to her, turning his head the opposite direction, his face red.

"H-here."

Her eyes widened as she silently took it, eying it carefully.

"InuYasha.."

Hesistantly, she opened it and gasped audibly.

It was a golden locket, carved with abstract intricate designs, a red ruby resting in the very center of it. The chain spiraled magnificantly, glistening the in the den's lighting.

"InuYasha..oh gods.."

He winced.

Did she not like it?

"Kagome, I--"

"InuYasha, I love it," she whispered, shaking slightly, her eyes becoming glossy and watery.

He sighed in relief, before noticing her tears.

"It's beautiful," she continued, wiping her eyes.

"Kagome, don't cry," he said softly, his dog ears flattening against his scalp.

"I'm alright," she said, chuckling slightly.

He began to wipe her cheeks with his thumbs, examining her as if he didn't believe her words.

"Silly girl," he reprimanded, before taking the locket from her grasp and carefully tying it behind her neck.

After doing so, he admired the way it contrasted with her beautifully pale skin, also making her collarbone look rather..._nice._

She ran her fingers over the delicate locket, a small smile making its way to her rose petal lips.

Their eyes met yet again, the familiar electricity bounting off from their gaze.

"You look beautiful," he spoke softly before he could stop himself.

Her eyes widened.

_Fuck, why did I say that?_

"I mean, the locket looks really nice on you," he recovered, his face now as red as a tomato.

She giggled and leaned forward, her lips coming in contact with his cheek.

"Thank you, InuYasha."

He huffed, but smiled regardlessly.

Before he realized what was happening, Kagome seemed.._closer. _Was he leaning forward? Was she? Why did things suddenly begin to feel so hazy? Why were his eyelids suddenly feeling so heavy? And why were Kagome's lips looking so damned soft right now? So pink...

Under his scrutiny, Kagome licked her lips unconsciously, feeling nervous.

_Why did she have to lick them, dammit?_

Her scent grew stronger in his nostrils, making him exhale slowly attmepting to trap as much of it as he could.

"Kagome," he breathed, cupping her face once again.

"InuYasha.."

His eyes began to close and their lips came closer to their destinations.

Her scent was absolutely maddening, making him do things he wouldn't normally.

"Kagome, what do you and InuYasha want for dinner?" Ms. Higurashi called from the stairs, snapping the two out of their reverie.

Their eyes met momentarily, before they quickly looked opposite directions.

_Ah, shit._


	18. Epiphany

_Hehehehehe._

* * *

_**Epiphany**_

Time was an inevitable enigma.

It was considered a blessing, not only curing cuts, bruises and diseases, but even intangible things— heartbreak, depression, fear.

It acted as a catalyst for many things as well — nostalgia, regret.

How something could be so contradictory is an enigma in itself, for time causes many polar opposite emotions simultaneously.

In InuYasha's case, however, it acted as none of these things.

He and Kagome had spent the holidays together, and it had been the best few weeks of his life. They'd done so many things together, from watching corny holiday specials, to even having a blast in the snow.

He sat back in his chair, his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he eyed Kagome out of the corner of his eye. Like always, she was oblivious to his scrutiny, her gaze on the talking raccoon dog. He watched as she chewed the end of her pen— an action he noted that she did whenever she got confused— and copied notes in a hurried manner.

A lopsided smile graced his lips.

He'd explain the lesson to her later.

Anyway, his thoughts returned to their little "fun" in the snow.

"_Geez, it's so cold out here!" she exclaimed, tightening the ocean blue scarf around her neck. _

_InuYasha, who had been previously walking in front of her, turned around and smirked, fully cognizant of the way her cheeks were flushed, and how those hypnotic, midnight blue eyes of hers drew him in like a bee to honey. _

"_Keh, you wimpin' out already, woman?"_

_He knew that would rile her up._

_He watched as the corners of her lips turned up, how those thin, arched eyebrows furrowed._

"_I'll have you know," she began, bending down and clasping a hand full of freshly fallen snow into her dark mittens._

"_That I, Higurashi Kagome, does no such thing as wimping out!" _

_The conviction in her voice was palpable, making him mirror her smirk with one of his own._

_The moon was full_— _he had taken notice to that when it illuminated her raven curls, providing them with blue highlights— which in turn, gave them complete privacy in the park, considering that the children and played in it during the day._

_Something cold and wet hit his face._

_The giggle that ensued proved his suspicions._

_Damn him and his daydreaming._

_His smirk grew as he wiped the snow from his face, just in time to see the criminal fleeing from him._

"_Oh no you don't!" he yelled, dashing after her before the human girl could blink. _

_She had scurried behind a tree, her breathing rough and rapid._

_Before she could celebrate, however, the hanyou landed right in front of her, making her yelp in surprise._

_He locked gazes with her, molten gold battling ocean blue, a very wicked expression on his face._

"_I don't want to make this unfair," he whispered in her, his breath tickling it._

"_What-"_

"_Run," he commanded, turning his back and folding his arms._

_Not missing her chance, Kagome darted away, her eyes roaming the playground, searching for somewhere to hide._

_She loved this._

_She loved the thrill of InuYasha toying with her._

_She noticed that he had become so much bolder from when they had first met, and it made her cheeks rosy recalling the thought of him whispering in her ear like that._

_God, she was falling._

_Heck, who was she kidding?_

_She had already fallen. Hard._

_Bending down, she quickly armed herself with a gigantic snowball, molding it perfectly._

"_Kagome, I hope you have a good spot," InuYasha said loudly, quickly turning around and sniffing noticeably._

_Honestly, she didn't have a good spot, but made due with behind the nearby fence surrounding the park._

_If she turned her head around, she could see him, sniffing wildly, a warm smile on his face._

_Gods, had he always been so handsome?_

_Realizing where her thoughts were going made her blush in embarrassment._

"_Y'know," he began, slowly heading in her direction, purposely toying with her._

"_Maybe if your scent wasn't so damn distinct from everyone else-"_

_She turned her head, leaning from behind the fence to look at him._

_He wasn't there._

"_Where did he-"_

"_I wouldn't be able to pinpoint you so easily," he finished, now right in front of her._

_She jumped._

"_How do you keep doing that!"_

_He chuckled, ignoring her question._

"_And what exactly do you mean by distinct? What makes my scent so different?" she asked curiously, plopping down on the ground, bringing her knees up to her chin._

_InuYasha joined her, leaning his head back against the fence, his gaze on the night sky._

_How exactly could he answer that without sounding..._

"_I just never smelled anybody like ya before," he answered gruffly, dodging that bullet._

_She looked at him, before scooting closer and resting her head on his shoulder._

_He cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling the blood rush to his face._

"_Well, there's something pretty distinct about you too, y'know."_

"_Oh yeah? What's that?"_

_She smiled, snuggling closer._

"_I've never _met_ anyone like you before."_

"_Kagome..."_

"That's our lesson for today," Mr. Hotchi said, shutting the book he had been reading from previously, and also waking the hanyou from his reverie.

"And I hope our leads are ready tonight! Class, give it up for Kagome and Hojo!"

The entire class clapped and spoke a few "congratulations" to them.

InuYasha's eyes went completely wide in horror.

See, this was exactly why time was a bitch. It brought about these unexpected, shitty surprises.

"Kagome," he whispered desperately.

She turned toward him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Is tonight—"

"Are you ready, Higurashi?" Hojo interrupted, standing in front of her desk, grabbing her attention.

She nodded, a smile on her face.

"I've been rehearsing so much! I'm just kinda ready to get it over with, honestly."

He grinned.

"I know how you feel. Heck, the only thing keeping me going is the kissing scene."

InuYasha growled lowly, his fists clenching rather uncomfortably.

Who the fuck did this guy think he was?

Hojo's cheeks turned red, watching as Kagome's mouth flew open in shock.

"I-I-I just meant that i-its the only part that we haven't rehearsed, so it'll be n-new material."

She laughed nervously.

_Awkward._

InuYasha would keep his cool.

For Kagome.

For now.

"Kagome, we've got studying to do," he huffed, pulling her arm and yanking her from her seat.

She thanked him silently for coming to her rescue before excusing herself.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you _sure _you're alright, InuYasha? You seem kind of irritable."

"I'm fine."

"Okay.."

They'd been like this for an hour. They sat across from each other at the kitchen table in almost complete silence.

When she asked him if he understood what she had been saying, he'd only huff or grunt in response.

He could be so irritating sometimes!

"InuYasha.." she tried again, tucking a loose strand of her behind her ear.

"What?" he snapped, his hands gripping the table with an inhuman force.

She jumped back, surprised.

He immediately regretted it.

After all, it wasn't _her_ fault she had to kiss that son of a bitch tonight.

It was that bastard _Shakespeare._

"Sorry," he grunted, avoiding her gaze and eying the clock.

It was exactly five o'clock. The play began at six thirty.

"If you don't want to study today-"

"No, I'm fine," he replied, sighing roughly, running his hands over his face.

Why was this bothering him so much? Why did the thought of her expressing a false love, a false kiss with someone else _hurt_? Why did it feel like an invisible knife was being rotated in his heart? He had never felt such a pain before, and being oblivious as to the cause of it pissed him off more.

"Do you have all of your lines memorized?" he asked suddenly, those molten lava eyes boring into hers.

His facial expression was completely unreadable, and it made Kagome feel slightly uncomfortable. It was if he was looking into the very depths of her soul, scrounging around for secrets.

"Yes, finally. I'm slightly nervous though. You're coming, right?"

How the fuck could he answer that?

He hadn't even given it much thought, actually.

Did he _want_ to see her kiss Hojo?

_Hell no._

But at the same time, knowing that it was happening and being completely idle bothered him even more.

"Ya."

He closed his book, gathering his things.

"I'll be there."

o0o0o0o0o0o

Kagome snuck a glance from behind the curtains, gulping nervously.

Almost every seat in the entire auditorium was filled, while incessant chattering filled the air.

"A full house."

"Has anyone seen Hojo?" Mr. Hotchi yelled from backstage, gathering all f the young actors' attention.

Kagome's eyes widened.

He wasn't here?

But he was the lead!

The students shook their heads, whispering amongst one another.

Where on Earth could he be?

It was completely uncharacteristic of him.

Right after that thought, she felt heard her phone ringing from across the stage in her purse. Picking up the exaggerated dress that acted as her costume, Kagome made her way to it, only to see Hojo's name on the caller id.

She sighed in relief before answering.

"Hojo! Where-"

"Higurashi, I can't make it!"

"What! Whynot? We go on in five minutes!"

"I know, I know. Someone slashed my tires, and my parents are out of town, so I have absolutely no way to get there in time! You'll have to get someone to fill in. Tell Mr. Hotchi that I'm sorry."

_Click._

"Hojo! Hojo!"

Sighing, Kagome hung up, running a hand nervously through her hair.

_Who would want to slash Hojo's tires?_

Figuring that it would be best not to waste valuable time, Kagome passed on Hojo's message to Mr. Hotchi, making him gasp in horror.

"I never cast an understudy!" he exclaimed, pacing back and forth.

"We don't have anyone to fill in!"

"Keh, ya got me."

Hearing that familiar voice, all eyes landed on InuYasha, who was already in costume, arms crossed.

Kagome's eyes went wide, making her way over to him.

"You-you know the lines?"

He smirked, a fang peeping through.

"I was here during all the rehearsals, wasn't I?"

"Oh, InuYasha! Thank you!" she embraced him tightly.

He always seemed to be coming to her rescue.

Surprisingly, he hugged her back, a soft look in his eyes.

"Anything for you, Kagome."

He'd whispered that so softly, she doubted anyone else even heard it.

_He's never been so gentle before..._

"Perfect! Places, places everyone!"

o0o0o0o0o0o

He had finally realized it.

It was as if certain pieces of this puzzle had fallen together.

It explained everything.

It explained that warm, fuzzy feeling he always got when he looked into her eyes, when she said she'd always be by his side.

It explained why he always wanted to be near her, why he wanted to protect her.

It explained why seeing her wear the locket he had given her for christmas around her neck even now, made him feel happier than he ever had.

It explained why seeing her with Hojo put him in such a sour mood.

It explained why he sniffed out Hojo's residence just to slash his tires, to make this moment _his._

As he proclaimed his love for Juliet, for _Kagome, _it explained why he felt so light headed right now.

It explained how he felt such butterflies, even as he lay dead, listening to Kagome's monologue, the dagger in her hand.

It explained why, at the very moment Kagome's lips rested upon his, he took his left hand― the one not facing the audience― and pulled on her neck, deepening the kiss.

He_ loved_ her.

He felt her gasp in shock, and simply took that as the moment to taste the very depths of her mouth, groaning in anticipation.

She tasted _so_ fucking good, just like he knew that she would.

His hand tangled into her hair, his breathing now intensified, as their lips met over and over again, his mouth capturing hers so greedily, he felt as if he couldn't stop. He tasted her deeply, fully, his kisses becoming deeper, more _passionate._

He wanted her to cloud all of his senses, his clawed hand now gently tracing the contours of the side of her face.

He smelled, tasted, and felt _only_ Kagome.

Time wasn't all bad. Time had caused Kagome to get through the ice surrounding his heart, melting it with her kindness, acceptance, and beauty.

Realizing that they were still being watched, InuYasha regretfully dropped his hand, releasing her, and resumed his position as being dead, but not before letting her name leave his lips in a gentle whisper.

He wished he could see her expression, knowing that those cheeks of hers would be red, how those succulent lips would be swollen due to his assault on them.

Her blue eyes were wide in shock, and she found herself clutching her beating heart, her breathing erractic, heavy.

_The way that he kissed me...That couldn't have been part of the act...could it? _


	19. Layers unfolded

The clapping, which echoed throughout the entire auditorium, fell on the deaf ears of Kagome.

After the curtains fell, she scurried on the opposite side of the stage away from the rest of the cast, who at that moment, was chatting excitedly and greeting their families as they migrated toward the exit.

Gathering her belongings in one hand, she felt her rapidly beating heart with the other, her eyes widening at its pace.

_I'm making a big deal out of nothing. It was just an act, that's all. I can't act differently around him, or he'll realize that it was so much more than that to me._

Attempting to rid herself of her inner turmoil, she exhaled roughly and turned around, only to come face to face with the topic of her mind.

He had such an intense expression in his eyes―they were smoldering with something so unfamiliar.

"InuYasha."

The name left her lips before she even realized it.

"Hi, Kagome," he said softly, watching her intently, not making an effort to let her pass him.

She felt her cheeks warm just from the _way_ he had spoken her name, her blue eyes not having the will to shake of his piercing amber ones.

He walked closer, his tongue instinctively gliding over his now dry lips.

He wanted to kiss her again―kiss her until she made the same sexy noises as she did in his dream, until she begged to feel his tongue delve into her moist cavern.

"God," he breathed, reaching for her neck to pull it toward him.

When had he become this bold?

He smirked internally, deciding the his love for this woman fueled every desire that burned in his soul, that ignited things in his very being that had previously been invisible.

"Congratulations, you guys!" was heard, halting InuYasha from making his move.

Instead, his hands found refuge in his pants pocket.

_Fucking hell._

Miroku and Sango made their way across the stage, sporting two huge grins.

"That was so amazing," Sango complimented, pulling the two into a quick hug.

Miroku planted a kiss on Kagome's cheek and patted InuYasha on the back in approval.

"I have to agree. Your acting was beyond incredible. So incredible, in fact, that it makes me wonder if there was really any _acting_ involved."

Hearing her boyfriend's underlying meaning, Sango giggled in her hand, enjoying the way the couple before them blushed in embarrassment.

oOoOoOo

"Kagome, what's wrong?" InuYasha asked, tossing his mechanical pencil down on the floor.

Kagome, who was presently sitting on the floor next to him, leaned against the bed as they drew together, looked up at him in confusion.

"What―"

He growled, taking the sketchbook from her lap, anxious to have her full attention.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Ever since the play, you've been different toward me! You've hardly spoken to me in school, and even now, we haven't had a proper conversation!"

She felt the pounding of her heart against her chest again―could he know?

She quickly stood, facing away from the cause of the constant butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm just tired, is all," she responded with a fake smile and began to head toward the exit.

_I need to keep my distance, or else something might slip!_

"Oi, don't you lie to me!" InuYasha also stood and forced her in the corner of the bedroom, his figure looming over her.

He searched her eyes, his expression raw, demanding.

"You've never lied to me before, so don't you dare start this shit now."

Her eyes widened.

InuYasha seemed a lot bolder lately―a lot more observant, or cognizant of her.

"InuYasha, I..."

She trailed off, turning her head away to face the opposite side of the room.

"I'm just confused. I..it's just...the kiss―_eep!"_

She covered her mouth, attempting to call the words back.

_Did I really just say that? Aargh, I'm so stupid!_

At that moment, the ears on InuYasha's head maneuvered like satellites―his eyes as wide as saucers.

She had been thinking about it too?

"Kagome," he groaned, grabbing her chin and turning it in his direction, forcing their eyes to lock.

"What about the kiss?"

His voice sounded so unfamiliar to him―it was raspy, seeping with desire, with pure _want._

Kissing her once was addictive enough, and now he found himself suffering from withdrawal symptoms―he had to taste her again and again.

"I'm just stupid," she said, running a hand through her bangs, revealing the droplets of sweat on her forehead.

Becoming impatient, he grabbed her wrists and pressed them against the wall, trapping any movement.

"You're not stupid," he ground out, his breathing becoming labored from the wanton thoughts that began to form in his mind.

"Now tell me about the kiss."

Deciding she could avoid the topic no longer, she sighed and met his gaze full on.

"I liked it a little too much, InuYasha. I know it's stupid because we were acting and all, but it wasn't just an act to me. I..."

He exhaled at her words.

She liked the kiss as well.

_Kami, fuck, I'm so fucking..._

"I'll show you what it meant to me," he whispered roughly and crushed his lips against hers' in a kiss so torrid, so ardent and passionate, it nearly set their bodies aflame. Expecting the familiar gasp that escaped her lips, he chose that same moment to delve his tongue inside and taste all that she was. A lust induced groan fled from him, and before he knew it, his body was flush against hers', shoving it as far into the wall as it could possibly go. He released her lips just to ravish them again in pure need―she was so fucking sweet. He moved his lips sensually over her's, soft and gentle in a curious exploration, fighting the urge to grind his hips into her's when he heard the nearly silent moan that escaped her lips.

Finally, he pulled back, panting, before resting his forehead against her's.

"Idiot," he mumbled between his labored breaths, a smirk on his face.

She smiled, feeling stupid when that familiar warmth spread through her cheeks.

"InuYasha.."

He wrapped his arms around her lithe frame tightly, burying his nose in the crook of her neck.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere," he said softly.

"I've waited long enough for this―nothing will get in my way."

Her eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around him as well.

After a moment in silence, the same thing that had been bothering Kagome since she met InuYasha reared its ugly head.

Now was as good as a time as any to ask, right?

She _had_ to.

"InuYasha, I want to ask you something."

He pulled back, his expression relaxed, peaceful.

"Hn?"

She gulped.

"About your family.."

The half-demon pulled back like he had been burned, now wearing a frown.

"No, Kagome."

"But InuYasha, I still know nothing about your family! You know everything about mine, and it isn't fair!"

He scowled, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"You can't just leave! I want to know more about you! Is that so wrong?"

"It's none of your damned business, Kagome!" he snapped, and headed out of her room, slamming the door hard enough to cause vibrations in the wall.

oOoOoOo

"She's always so damned nosy," he grumbled to himself as he made his way down the sidewalk toward his home.

"I fucking kiss her, and she's asking about my family."

As he continued cursing while passing the park, a sight nearly stopped him dead in his tracks.

There, sitting on the bench, was his half brother, Sesshomaru, with a _very_ human girl. The two were sitting rather closely together, and he wore a s_mirk_ on his face.

A smirk!

The girl nudged him with her elbow before giggling softly.

Sesshomaru grabbed the girl by the waist and shoved his nose in her hair, his eyes shutting momentarily.

Deciding it was best that he shouldn't be seen, InuYasha hurried out of sight, his brow raised in confusion.

_What the hell is Sesshomaru doing?_

He scoffed, suddenly realizing that he shouldn't care about the bastard.

"I've got my own problems to worry about. That damned Kagome."

oOoOoOo

The next morning was Saturday, so Kagome was rather irritated when someone rang their doorbell at eight a.m.

It was bad enough she hadn't had much sleep because her night was laden with thoughts of InuYasha, and when she finally did manange some sleep, someone ruined it!

"It better be important," she grumbled, walking toward the shrine door.

The moment she pulled it open, she was met with an unrelenting embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, inhaling her scent in order to calm himself.

"InuYasha.."

He pulled back and shoved the sunflower he had picked on the way into her hands, turning away with a blush on his face.

"I-I know how you like sunflowers."

She held it to her nose before throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, InuYasha."

He huffed and pulled back, locking eyes with her in an intense gaze.

"I was a bastard to you yesterday. You have every right to know about my family."

Her eyes widened, but she remained silent.

"Come for a walk with me, and I'll tell you everything."


	20. Brink

**_Brink_**

* * *

"You still haven't told your father about us?" Rin asked vehemently, her fists balled in frustration and impatience. This entire situation was twisted. So damned twisted.

"Rin, I have told you repeatedly―"

She held up her hands, silencing him.

"I _know,_ Sesshomaru. He's doesn't like humans. How long do you think you can hide this, though? You have no idea how frustrating and just plain _hurtful_ this is."

His eyes narrowed, setting the mug of coffee down on his desk.

"I _do_ know, Rin. You will accept the time gracefully. I will tell him when I am ready to, and until then, you will just have to wait."

Rin was silent for a moment, contemplating her next move. She was so angry, so _furious,_ red lights of warning flashed through her mind, warning her to calm herself. She ignored them. He was being so apathetic about the entire situation, which pissed her off even more. It was as if he didn't even care! What had she even been thinking―there was no way to change such an icy man, no way to attain the infinite amount of warmth that it would require for him to show even the slightest emotion. What was the point?

Sighing in defeat, she said the words that had needed to be said so long ago.

"You know what? Forget it. Forget _us."_

She turned around, walking toward the exit, and away from his life forever.

"I don't even know what I had been thinking when―"

Before the rest of the words could leave her lips, she had been pinned against the wall, her hands trapped above her. Still holding her, Sesshomaru moved his free hand to slam and lock the door, before turning back to her, his eyes harder than she had ever seen them.

"I _won't_ forget, Rin. Unfortunately, you've made it impossible for me to do just that. You are too far past the option of ending this. You will not ever see anyone but _me."_

The pure, raw emotion that was laden in his eyes―it shocked her, made her heartbeat quicken. She couldn't be weak, though. She had to stand her ground, to make sure she wasn't giving her heart, her _soul_ to him for nothing in return.

"What if I choose to see someone else?" she heard herself whispering, well aware that she was tempting fate itself.

His grip on her hands tightened, and his lips moved to her ear.

"I will make him _bleed._"

And with that, he caught her lips in his, his hands flying to her dark hair, massaging her scalp. She gasped and groaned his mouth, attempting to bring him closer, to meld into him until there was nothing left.

God, she loved this man.

"Most men would say something along the lines of wanting me to be happy and not interfering," she breathed as he licked her jaw line, causing her to shudder.

"I will not allow you happiness with anyone other than _me_."

The ringing of his office phone made him finally pull away from her, panting slightly.

"I will tell my father, Rin. Just be patient."

This time, she nodded, a soft smile on her lips.

"I will, Sesshomaru," she found herself whispering.

"For as long as it takes."

oOoOoOo

"So, the son of whore returns," InuTaisho chanted as InuYasha walked in after his argument with Kagome. He was seated at the kitchen table, his eyes momentarily peaking up from his laptop. Sesshomaru was leaning against the counter, a mug in his hand like always. Before the hanyou could tell his father to piss off, someone _else _surprisingly sprung to his aid.

"Father, must you insist on insulting InuYasha? It is rather childish," Sesshomaru chided, taking a sip of the vanilla tea he had prepared moments earlier.

InuYasha's jaw dropped.

_What the fuck?_

InuTaisho had obviously been thinking the same thing, for he had an expression akin to InuYasha's.

"You're _defending_ the half-breed now?"

"I'm more so correcting you on the error of your ways," he spoke eloquently, eying InuYasha in a way that was foreign to him.

_That human girl has changed him.. _

"You slander him daily because of his heritage―a heritage in which you, yourself created, Father. I suppose since this is the last time you and I shall communicate, I decided to be frank about the entire situation."

_That_ caught his father's attention.

"Wait, what the hell do you mean this will be the _last_ time we'll communicate?"

"I've met someone, Father. Her name is Rin."

InuTaisho simply raised his brow in a silent plead for his son to elaborate.

"She's human."

InuYasha watched silently, his eyes darted to his father and Sesshomaru and back again.

Suddenly, InuTaisho laughed.

"You're kidding me," he said, a wry smile on his face.

"You're _fucking_ with me, right son?"

Sesshomaru remained quiet for a moment, and then looked at InuYasha.

"If you do not believe me, ask InuYasha. He saw us in the park just moments earlier."

InuYasha blushed at being found out.

_So he must've picked up on my scent._

The smile on InuTaisho's face vanished instantly as he watched the hanyou, and then Sesshomaru again.

"You bastard," he seethed, slamming his laptop shut.

"After everything I've done for you, you have the fucking decency to do _this? _What about the company, huh? You gonna abandon that for the little _bitch _too?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"You will_ not_ address Rin that way. I never wanted any involvement with your company. I quit earlier today."

InuTaisho's mouth opened and closed, almost resembling a fish gasping for water.

"InuYasha, gather your things. I have arranged an apartment for you and I to share for as long as you need residence. We will be leaving immediately."

With that, Sesshomaru breezed right past both of their awe-stricken faces.

"I don't expect you to forgive my actions," Sesshomaru began once they were in his car, driving toward their new apartment.

"I have been shameful to you―without Rin entering my life, I don't believe I would have ever changed," he said honestly, briefly looking at his half brother.

InuYasha remained quiet, not exactly sure what to make of all of this.

"You put me through some real shit, Sesshomaru," he spoke finally, his voice raspy and raw with emotion.

"You made me believe I was scum, trash, the dirt beneath your feet. You fucking _broke _me. Hell, you _both_ did. Like you, I have someone in my life who put me back together, though. Someone who means the fucking world to me."

His eyes softened as he gazed out of the window at the passing scenery.

"And she deserves to know everything...for everything she has done for me, she deserves the entire _world_," he continued, more to himself than to his brother.

_And I was such an ass to her..._

"I understand seeing shit in a new light after meeting someone special, okay? I just...I just need some time. Time to get used to this, to get used to _us. _Even if you _are_ a bastard, thanks for this."

"I won't waste words by apologizing for my actions, because words mean nothing. But I _do_ plan to show you, little brother."

A smirk made its way to the youkai's lips.

"And yes, I suppose I was a _bastard,_ as you say. I know that it will take time, but time is something that you and I both have. You are not _below_ me, InuYasha. If anything, you are above me, for you have endured even the toughest adversity. From your supposed _family_, no less."

He grimaced at his own words.

"Things are going to be different, Brother. I can assure you of that."

oOoOoOo

He ran. He ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. He and Sesshomaru had had a long talk the night before, and InuYasha decided to give the bastard a chance to prove himself. It would be a very _Kagome_ thing to do after all.

"Kagome.."

He had to apologize to her. He had snapped on her for her genuine concern for him.

Luckily, the new apartment wasn't that much farther from his father's house, meaning the walk wasn't _completely_ out of his range.

Spring was finally approaching and little weeds and flowers were slowly beginning to bloom. Spotting a lone sunflower in the distance, InuYasha quickly plucked it and dashed along, the morning sun welcoming him in its warm embrace. Finally, after about forty-five minutes, he had reached her home.

Anxious, he rang the doorbell three times in a row, making sure that someone heard him. After a near eternity, Kagome opened the door, and he embraced her before she even had a chance to speak.

I'm so sorry," he whispered, inhaling her scent in order to calm himself.

"InuYasha.."

He pulled back and shoved the sunflower he had picked on the way into her hands, turning away with a blush on his face.

"I-I know how you like sunflowers."

She held it to her nose before throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, InuYasha."

He huffed and pulled back, locking eyes with her in an intense gaze.

"I was a bastard to you yesterday. You have every right to know about my family."

Her eyes widened, but she remained silent.

"Come for a walk with me, and I'll tell you everything."

She looked down at her sky blue pajamas, a blush on her face.

"But my clothes―"

His hands flew in her hair and he brought her face to his in a kiss, before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers.

"You look..b-beautiful, okay? Just come on."

She blushed and nodded, sliding out of the shrine silently, her adorable bunny slippers adorning her feet.

They walked, they talked, or _he_ did most of the talking.

He told her everything―everything from his father and his verbal and even sometimes physical abuse, to his brother, and the three-sixty his life had done just yesterday. He wanted to spare her of some of the more ghastly details, but once he told his story, the words flowed from his mouth without his brain's consent. He had never told anyone of his family― it was if he were releasing a giant load from his soul.

"Oh, InuYasha," she thrust herself in his arms, visibly shaking as tears rolled freely down her face.

They had stopped walking altogether, and he cautiously wrapped his arms around her.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me any of this, InuYasha? I could have _saved_ you from your prison," she yelled, her voice hoarse.

His ears drooped to his head as he buried his face in her hair, tightening his hold on her.

"You stupid girl," he whispered, on the verge of tears himself.

"Kagome, you_ have_ saved me. You have absolutely no fucking idea how_ happy_ I've been since you've come into my life."

He swallowed, deciding against telling her that if not for his presence, he would have taken his own life by now.

"Kagome, _Kami,_ Kagome, you breathed life back into me―you breathed it into me with every smile you directed toward me, with every touch, with every word you've spoken. I swear on my _life_, Kagome, that you fucking _rescued_ me. You'll never know the extent of my gratitude, you can't _fathom_ the thanks that I feel in my heart every second. I..I love _,_ I love you _so_ much."

She continued to weep in his arms, every word he spoke making her heart swell.

"InuYasha..I love _you. _You-you can't leave me. I-I have to make sure that you're always safe."

He chuckled at her, inhaling her scent once more to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

"Idiot, where would I go?"

_I'll never leave you, Kagome..

* * *

_

I think the next chapter will probably be the very last of _Serendipity_. Feedback is welcomed.

Thanks, guys!


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